Demon I Have Become
by CanaanAlphardForever
Summary: [55] "So what if you can see the darkest side of me? No one will ever change this demon I have become." Demon-born, Ymir struggles with her birthright and with the unlucky fate that she is surely to follow. Krista is the only reminder that she has some semblance of humanity left in her, but not everything can work out as we hope. Demon!Ymir. AU. Darkfic. Violence/gore. YumiKuri
1. Chapter 1

The idea of this story was born thanks to two songs (marked by stars), which will be in the playlist for this chapter. I will have songs for chapters where necessary, which helped me set the mood while writing. Listen to them or not, it's up to you. I've been working on this for a while, and I'm insanely proud of this story. In my opinion, it might just be my best work yet.

**Playlist for chapter I**: My Demons by Starset*, Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace* and Demons by Imagine Dragons.

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><p><strong>I<strong>

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><p>Ash and gore all trickled down like rain. The air, thick and muggy, shivered amidst the ferocious roaring. Men and women alike surrounded a beast, weapons and tanks and helicopters all aiming, taking fire, and running to cover.<p>

Another roar; everyone burst into showering bits of meat and flesh, blood spraying everywhere. A small child, witness to the gruesome deaths, was showered in the substances and stained red. She looked about five and clutched a doll to her chest. Curled, long blonde hair dripped with blood. Her widened blue eyes stared in terror, mouth gaping ever so slightly. The small child could not breathe, she could not move—not even when the demon noticed her and lifted its hand toward her, finger pointing.

Smoke billowed behind the creature. Buildings collapsed in on themselves and any electrical device could not take the amount of heat and pressure emitting from the demon, causing them all to implode.

There were screams; so many screams—mothers and fathers escaping with their children, their lives; lovers screaming after watching their better halves explode right before their eyes.

The little girl felt warm liquid run down her legs and she knew that she had wet herself. She could barely emit any sort of sound as the towering demon sent a chilling glare her way. It didn't appear mindless; it looked thirsty, hungry for blood and death.

The creature stood 14 meters tall, shoulders pulled back and head held high. The skin was reddened, much like the demons often depicted in famous paintings of religious stories. Its eyes were blackened red, darker than the rawest part of the heart, and the whites of its eyes were coloured pitch black. Blood and gore ran down the demon's face, its chin dyed a darker red than its skin. The skin itself looked leathery, like it would be rough and bumpy to the touch. Its nails were long and black and sharp.

It didn't look like an animal; in fact, it had a human appearance despite the height and the skin. A once normal face splashed with black freckles contorted in hatred, nostrils flaring and lips curled back over sharp fangs.

What startled the girl most of the appearance, were the horns and the tail. The horns sat atop the demon's head, pointing upwards at a slight angle, arching ever so slightly in the centre. The horns were once pure white, but were now dripping with blood and ash. The tail swished back and forth, looking much like that of a dragon. The small girl wasn't at all surprised when the demon threw its head back with its lips parted and released an earth shattering roar. It was the loudest noise the little girl had ever heard. Those in close proximity had no choice but to cover their ears or face losing their eardrums. The little girl did not flinch as her eardrums burst and blood gushed from the sides of her head. Her eyes could not leave the angered, anguished face of the demon.

When the demon finished roaring, two, black and equally leathery wings burst from its back, spraying its own blood behind it from breaking the skin. The demon did not seem to notice the pain. Its wings flapped once, twice, wind rushing fiercely from the force, and then it took a few steps forward.

The girl trembled so badly that her doll fell to her floor. A second later, she was not even able to utter a scream as the demon closed its fist and her body exploded. What remained of the girl rained on people still rushing past—some screaming, some barely noticing.

The demon suddenly rushed forward, jumped as high as it could and then came down on a group of people escaping. They were all crowded at the entrance to a subway, pushing and shoving and preventing a quick escape to safety. Its fists felt the wet crunch as bodies were crushed, and then it left again, running for a helicopter firing multiple missiles. One grab was all it took and the demon crushed the vehicle in its hands, ignoring the terrified screams from inside. The other helicopters watched, their pilots swearing and nearly wetting themselves. They decided that it was too risky and all made a quick escape, leaving their fellow citizens at the creature's mercy.

"NO!" There was a scream, so faint in all of the chaos and death. "YMIR STOP IT!"

Ymir shot up immediately, heart thudding so painfully that she began to cough until her lungs burned. She clutched at her chest, heaving and hyperventilating. Every inch of her body hurt and Ymir stumbled out of bed, quick to get to the bathroom. Once there she turned the shower on—as cold as it could get—and fell against the shower wall. She slid to the ground, tilted her head upwards and allowed the icy water to splash across her face and sweat soaked clothes.

Ymir's breathing eased slightly as did the burning along her skin. She felt an uncomfortable sickness tighten her stomach and could not stop the vomit climbing her oesophagus. Ymir bent forward and wretched until her back muscles pulled and she could barely remain upright.

It was like a never ending nightmare that plagued her night and day.

After cleaning her face and shirt, Ymir stood and turned the shower off. She trembled heavily as she made her way over to the mirror, to look at her reflection. What she saw made her immediately look away.

Red eyes, sharp teeth, darkened skin… and horns.

Ymir took deep, shallow breaths through her nose. She squeezed her eyes tight, trying not to think of her dream, and willed her body to go back to normal. She willed herself to return to what she wanted to be.

Slowly, painful enough that Ymir whimpered in agony, the horns receded, sending fresh blood spilling over her skin. Ymir's skin ceased to burn, her muscles—besides her lower back—stopped pulling and tensing. Her teeth changed and her eyes faded from hatred filled red to their usual dull brown. The black melted from the whites of her eyes, leaving them looking normal again.

Gasping, Ymir washed the blood from her face and then glanced up, watching her reflection. She was glad to see that she was looking normal again. Her skin was tanned and freckled, as it should be. Her shoulders were no longer so broad, her jaw not so wide and her height had shrunken back down to normal.

Ymir breathed. Her wounds closed up quickly, gone in a bellow of steam, as did the pain in her lower back. She healed so frighteningly fast.

"Fuck," Ymir choked out. The echo of pain still singed her skin. Her joints all ached. "Fuck."

She left the bathroom quickly, leaving wet footprints and hoping not to wake her siblings. They were used to her night terrors, but seeing her like this wasn't what Ymir wanted. She walked softly back towards her room and then locked the door once it was shut behind her.

It was still very early in the morning—three a.m. Each morning, around three, Ymir would startle from a violent dream, and nearly every morning she would reach for her cellphone and dial a familiar number. This time was no different.

"Ymir? Was it bad this time?"

Ymir's entire body relaxed at the familiar, soothing voice. She collapsed onto her bed, clad in dry clothes after changing, and pressed a trembling fist against her temple.

"Mm," she muttered softly.

Krista, still mostly asleep, rubbed furiously at her eyes and hurried out of bed. "Okay, I'm on my way. Don't do anything, okay? I'll be right there."

Ymir didn't protest. She used to—vehemently. Now it was customary for Krista to travel thirty minutes downtown to sneak through Ymir's bedroom window at three in the morning. Ymir no longer held the energy to argue like she used to. Right now all she could do was lie on her bed and listen to Krista's breathing.

Krista knew not to end the call. Neither spoke, but she kept the phone pressed to her ear as she struggled to pull a pair of jeans over her pyjama pants. After that she wrestled a hoodie over her nightshirt, and then she grabbed the keys to her scooter and snuck outside. Even if her parents caught her, they had no real say over stopping her—Krista was eighteen now, and she demanded that they afford her trust and responsibility. If they wanted her to drive and find a job, then they had to let her go and allow her to do the things that she needed to do.

Ymir heard the familiar beep of Krista's house alarm being switched off, and then the buzz of the garage door sliding open. Krista situated herself on her scooter, brought it to life, and then sighed into the receiver.

"Ymir, I have to go now. Will you be okay until I get there?"

Ymir blinked the sweat from her eyelashes. Her vision turned fuzzy for a second, and she thought that she was about to fall asleep, but then she shook her head and stood from her bed. "Yeah. Don't speed."

Krista chuckled. "I'm more skilled at speeding than you are at this point. Just relax. I'll be there in five minutes."

Ymir cracked a pained smile. "Liar."

Krista didn't comment and placed the phone into her pocket, not ending the call. Ymir continued to listen to the sounds as Krista pushed her scooter out of the garage, pressed a button on her remote to close it and then drove down the driveway. When she reached the road she hit the button for the house alarm to switch on again, and then she hit the gas and sped down the street.

Ymir listened to it all. She walked quietly over to her mirror and paused in front of it. Hesitantly, almost afraid, she lifted her shirt. She cringed.

Long, coiling patterns danced across her skin, like black veins. They spread out from the very centre of her heart, covering her breasts and abdomen, curling around her hips to spiral up her back. Ymir didn't need to turn to see the latter marks. She had the image of them burned into her memory. Just closing her eyes allowed her to see them perfectly.

They hurt more than she had ever imagined. Right now they were burning, but in an hour they were sure to start aching worse than ever before. The pain had only gotten worse over the last year, and Ymir wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to resist the change and keep her mind.

Time seemed to have stopped, for Ymir was surprised to hear the familiar whoosh of her window sliding open. She turned with her shirt still pulled up and saw Krista tumbling through her window.

Krista wore her usual purple hoodie and faded dark grey jeans. She had sneakers covering her feet, and Ymir could plainly see from her chest that she wasn't wearing a bra. Krista stumbled to her feet and noticed Ymir. Krista smiled.

Ymir frowned and dropped her shirt quickly to hide the shameful marks marring her body. Krista had seen them already—touched them, too. She did not want the blonde to see her shame longer than what was necessary.

"Ymir, they've extended!" Krista exclaimed before even uttering a greeting. She rushed forward and shoved Ymir's shirt upwards to get a good look at her skin. Krista only managed a long second to study the elongated black branches before she was roughly shoved to the ground. She landed with a thud and took a second to regain her bearings.

"Shit, I'm sorry!" Ymir said anxiously. She didn't extend a hand to help, not like she would have. No—this time she pulled her hands to her sides and stepped away from Krista, guilt and anger and shame washing over her face in waves.

Krista was not impressed at all. "Since when did the great Ymir act so timid?" she asked sternly. She stood and brushed the back of her pants.

Ymir's gaze moved to a point above Krista's head. "You shouldn't be here."

"So why didn't you argue with me?"

"It never works, does it?"

"I want to be here."

"You shouldn't."

"I don't care."

"I COULD KILL YOU!" Ymir screamed, eyes flashing bright and red before they snapped back to brown and the brunette covered her mouth with a hand. She bit harshly into the flesh of her palm to calm herself.

Krista never flinched. "Boo-hoo, you have emotional problems." She approached her and forced the hand from her mouth, watching the bite mark evaporate into steam. "You reached out to me for help, and that's what I'm here to do."

Ymir's eyes drowned in sorrow. "I've hurt you enough Krista."

Krista sighed softly. She gently wrapped her arms around Ymir's neck and pulled her down until they were on equal footing. Softly, so as not to startle, she brushed their noses and smiled. "And I forgive you each time; because what you're fighting inside," she placed a hand over Ymir's heart, "is far more important than worrying about my bodily injuries when you lose control of your temper."

Ymir sighed and bumped their foreheads. "You say that like me hitting you is okay."

"Of course it isn't," Krista snapped angrily. "I never forget it, but I forgive. You make up for it. You are going through something much bigger than me right now. I can't be selfish and make you suffer more."

At that Ymir snorted. "Yet you selfishly stay by my side even though I and every other goddamn person try to convince you otherwise."

"No one else knows what you're going through, Ymir."

"You don't either," Ymir pointed out.

Krista pulled away, grabbed Ymir's hand and pulled her towards the bed. Once there she ordered Ymir to lie down, and then she gently took Ymir's shirt off. Ymir tried to protest but she ended up sighing and allowing Krista to do as she pleased. Krista sat down beside her and pressed a hand to her back.

"I know that what you've told me is a basic version," Krista said. She traced the branching patterns with her finger and she grinned when Ymir shivered and blushed slightly.

"I don't want to tell you everything yet. I want you to think of me as Ymir, that dorky jackass you befriended when no one else would. I don't want you to think of me as a monster."

Krista immediately pulled Ymir's head around to glare openly into her face. "Don't you ever think that! If I hear you calling yourself a monster, or worrying that I would think that, then I'll head-butt you so damn hard you'll forget who you are."

Ymir blinked, surprised, and then she grinned and leaned forward to lightly kiss Krista on the lips. "You've grown fiercer this year."

Krista grinned smugly. "If you aren't going to sass people at school anymore then I have to. Who else is gonna defend us?"

Ymir rolled her eyes. "You know that if I get angry at the idiots at school then I _will_ end up killing someone." She was dead serious, frowning.

Krista remembered the first time it had happened; when Ymir had almost lost complete control of herself. That had been the most frightening and sobering day of her life, and from that day on Krista had vowed to remain by Ymir's side as an anchor to calm her in the direst of situations.

"_Look, it's the mega bitch and her little lesbian sidekick!" _

"_Thomas, shut the fuck up!" Ymir roared. She had been sitting against a tree with Krista nestled in her lap. They had been doing absolutely nothing but listening to the birds chirping in the trees until James and his idiot friend approached them, intent on causing a fight._

_Krista felt the pulse beneath her cheek accelerate and she felt the stirrings of panic begin in her chest. At that point in time Ymir had very vaguely explained what her situation was, and Krista understood that it was _**very**_ dangerous for her to get too angry—or angry at all._

"_Aw, are you butt-hurt, you hag?"_

_Ymir started to tremble. Krista suddenly tapped her chest and Ymir dropped her eyes to glance down at her. The blonde's expression was worried. _

_Ymir decided to calm herself and ignore the jibes. She stood, intertwined their fingers and then set off for the school cafeteria. It seemed as though the guys had given up but they started to follow, and Ymir could smell their envy and hatred trailing behind her. It made her blood boil with a sickening excitement and Ymir anxiously swallowed the dryness from her mouth. She tried to mentally will them to leave, to give up and piss off, but they followed them all the way into the building and then Edward—James' friend—suddenly grabbed Krista and then James shoved Ymir into a wall. He was taller than her, and stronger—for now._

"_Ymir! What the hell do you guys think you're doing? Just leave us alone! We weren't doing anything to you!" Krista yelled in panic. _

_James and Edward didn't understand why Krista seemed so panicked, so Edward chuckled and leaned in close to her face. "Calm down sweetheart, we won't hurt your bulldyke too much."_

_They were at the entrance of the cafeteria, just outside of it, so people from the other side of the door could hear the ordeal and many had quieted in order to listen. _

"_Let her go," Ymir said softly. Her head was bowed, and she hadn't looked up yet. Her arms hung at her sides, lame and trembling. She resisted the primal urges rising within her tainted blood. _

"_Now why would we do something like that?" James cooed. His dull green eyes shone with arrogance and he grinned smugly. "It's about time you shared that cutie with the rest of the school."_

"_I bet they fuck often," Edward commented, now sniffing Krista's blonde hair and stroking her cheek. Krista didn't even register his actions because her gaze was fixed on Ymir's hidden face. She could feel the air around them suddenly growing hot and heavy. "Geez, it suddenly got hot in here," Edward said as he wiped his brow._

_James thought he meant it as a jab. He laughed cruelly. "I wanna know, how does she taste? You've eaten her cupcake, hmm? Come on, from bro to bro." He tapped her chest as if doing it playfully and looked over at Edward, sharing a look, and then laughed. _

_Ymir's shoulders began to heave. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have been so upset. She had spent so much time trying to rein her anger in that she no longer harshly lashed out to anyone simply sitting beside her. _

_James had caught her on a bad day. She had dreamed a bad dream the previous night and she was still recovering from the experience. His light jabs were hitting her harder than they should have and she was struggling intensely to keep the bubbling anger from pouring out of the bottle she tried so desperately to keep it locked inside of. _

_Ymir could feel the black veiny marks spread out slowly across her skin, growing because of her anger and burning like someone was running a hot iron against her skin. It hurt, and the pain made Ymir hiss; it was a low, angry sound that caused James and Edward to cease their laughter and squint at her._

"_What the fuck noise was that?"_

_Krista's heart flew into her throat. For a split second she considered running. She knew what Ymir turned into when she lost control, and fear clawed at the back of her mind. Immediately she dismissed the notion, not wanting to leave Ymir. She had to do whatever she could to keep Ymir under control, or else she would kill James and Edward without even blinking._

"_Ymir, please don't listen to them," Krista pleaded. "They're jealous idiots. Just breathe deeply. Think about that forest I told you about, remember?"_

_James and Edward shared a perturbed look. When James nodded faintly Edward's grin stretched wide. "Shut up, bitch!" He pulled Krista's head back by yanking on her hair, and then he roughly grabbed a hold of her jaw and shook her head. "What hippy shit are you talking about?"_

_Ymir's head snapped up at the sound of Krista's surprised squeak. She watched Edward, and before she even had a chance to regain her calm, Edward did something that snapped her control like a twig._

_He laughed smugly and then shoved Krista into the wall. The blonde wasn't fast enough to react and she cracked her head against the brick wall, crying out in surprise and pain before she slid to the ground on her knees._

"_Ha! Did you hear how she—" Edward wasn't able to finish his sentence because Ymir had appeared in front of him so quickly that he hadn't even seen her before she grabbed his face and with sheer power threw him through the cafeteria doors. He landed painfully on the floor and slid all the way to the opposite side of the cafeteria. Those that had been quietly listening startled, and some stood from their chairs in fright. They spared Edward a glance and then looked at the still swinging cafeteria doors._

_Ymir didn't speak. She turned swiftly to face James. He broke out into a sweat and then screamed in terror when Ymir grabbed his throat and lifted him completely off of the ground. She was suddenly a lot taller and stronger than him and he could barely breathe because of her fingers digging into his throat._

"_Ymir, no!" Krista stood and made to rush to Ymir but an invisible force pushed her backwards and pressed her firmly to the wall. She struggled against it, accustomed to Ymir's ability. "Ymir, please! He isn't worth it!"_

_James had his hands wrapped around Ymir's wrist and he kicked his legs. "P-please," he gasped out. _

_Ymir's eyes narrowed, and then the most vicious and cruel smile James had ever seen in his life—and would haunt him from then on—spread out on Ymir's face. At the same moment her eyes darkened to red and her skin seemed to dye scarlet. She bared her teeth, showing her sharp fangs, and a deep, angry growl rumbled deeply in her chest. _

_James screamed as much as he could and wet himself. Ymir lifted a fist and didn't hesitate to punch him in the face. She then tossed him where she had thrown Edward, and then she followed. _

_The force holding Krista back weakened and the blonde managed to break away. She followed behind Ymir and ran to her side, tugging on her upper arm and begging for her to stop. But Ymir didn't hear her. She showed no recognition of Krista's or anyone else's presence. All she could focus on were the two boys whimpering pathetically on the floor._

_She first went to Edward where she flipped him onto his back and sat on top of him. She then began to mercilessly punch his face and neck. After a few seconds into it her impassive face broke into a sadistically excited one and her fists came down harder along with her delirious laughter. _

"_I will kill you." Ymir roared, voice deepened demonically and echoing frightening in the absolutely silent room. _

_The other students reacted to her voice and some screamed and ran from the room. Others wanted to help, but knew not want to do. Most simply sat and watched. _

"_Ymir, stop it!" Krista tried to grab Ymir's wrists but she was strong and she wasn't responding to Krista's voice. Eventually, when Edward passed out and a spray of blood flew from his mouth after a cough, Krista threw herself on top of him and squeezed her eyes shut._

_Ymir's fist paused a second from Krista's face. Her sadistic smile slowly turned into a frown, and then the red hue melted from her eyes. Her dark skin lightened to its usual tan, and then Ymir blinked back into reality. _

_When reality crashed down on her and she stumbled back a good few paces, students began to yell and talk all together and the chaos all rushed right over Ymir's head. Panic filled her senses, and if Krista hadn't pulled her into a fierce hug then she would have bolted from the room._

Krista's finger caressed along a black vein that travelled to the back of Ymir's neck. It was the only one that was visible outside of clothing, and so Ymir had grown her hair to cover it.

"But I'm here if you get angry," Krista pointed out. "I'll always stop you before you do too much damage."

Ymir sighed. She collapsed onto her back and pulled Krista down onto her. The blonde didn't resist and she wound up nestled against Ymir's side, cheek pressed to her naked shoulder.

"What if these veins cover my whole body one day?" Ymir asked suddenly.

Krista considered it. "Well, you could always pass them off as a tattoo."

"I mean, what would you think?"

"I'd still love you," Krista said. She leaned up and kissed the corner of Ymir's mouth. "You're Ymir, even if you've inherited some mystical demon gene."

"It isn't mystical. It's a nightmare."

Krista sobered. "Okay, yeah. I'm sorry. I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

"My curse isn't something to be made light of."

Krista plopped back down and pressed a hand to Ymir's chest. "Ymir, what did you dream this time?"

"You know how the dream goes," Ymir answered.

"Is it really the same as every other one?"

"Yeah. Same place, same circumstances. I'm with you and then I go berserk and change completely. Everything goes to shit and I destroy everything." Ymir's markings began to burn. She bit into her lip and tensed like a coil.

Krista felt it, so she tugged Ymir down and then changed positions so that Ymir was the one laying on her shoulder by her side. "It's not a dream, is it?"

Ymir pressed her face into the fabric of Krista's nightshirt—she had removed her hoody before resting. "No," she answered. "It's not a dream. It's a glimpse of the future."

Krista gently caressed Ymir's shoulder with her left hand and then she used her right to cup Ymir's burning cheek. Ymir, under any circumstances, was always alarmingly hot. She let her thumb rub circles beside Ymir's lips, and then she leaned down to press a kiss to Ymir's forehead.

"Let's not worry about any of this demon stuff for now. I'm here now, you won't dream of it anymore. Go to sleep. We have school tomorrow."

Thinking about having to go to school was almost as painful as the marks. Ymir grimaced, and then she wrapped an arm around Krista's waist, silently thanked the blonde for simply being in her life, and closed her eyes.

Krista continued to rub her back until Ymir's breathing evened and she slipped into a peaceful sleep. The blonde followed, dreaming of wonderful dreams where Ymir wasn't rooted to a terrible fate and where she wasn't destined to fall to ashes with her.

XxX

Three hours later Krista woke with a light yawn. She found that during their sleep the both of them had changed positions, Ymir spooning Krista from behind. The blonde smiled affectionately, placed a kiss on Ymir's damp forehead and then stood from the bed. She silently padded out of the room, towards the kitchen, to get a glass of water and painkillers. Ymir would soon wake from pain.

On her trek a door creaked open and Krista paused to look behind her. Worried blue eyes met her own. "Did she have another dream?" Nanaba asked.

Krista smiled lightly and nodded. "She's okay now. She might wake with a headache, so I'm getting something for it."

Nanaba merely nodded.

"Is Krista here?" Someone peeked over Nanaba's shoulders.

"I'm here Mina," Krista said with a broader smile.

"Krista's always here," Marco commented from inside of the kitchen. No one had noticed him there.

"What? Is Krista here?" Berthold wobbled into the hallway from his bedroom, yawning and scratching his tousled head.

Nanaba grinned. "Get back to bed," she told Mina. "You're sick and shouldn't be up. Berthold, you and Marco make sure that you aren't late this time. Krista, I trust Ymir in your care."

Krista sent everyone a smile. They knew her so well that seeing her randomly walking through the house at any time of the day had become a normal thing. Nanaba, Berthold, Marco and Mina were all Ymir's adopted siblings. Their foster parents were out on vacation, leaving the eldest, Nanaba, to watch other the younger ones. Mina was the youngest at fourteen, while Marco and Berthold were sixteen, and Ymir was the second oldest at seventeen. Krista was pleased to be older than her by four months. Nanaba had recently turned nineteen.

None of the siblings knew of Ymir's real plights. They, as well as their parents, believed that Ymir suffered from depression, anxiety and a plethora of other mental problems. Ymir had encouraged them to believe that, but Krista could tell how tired Ymir was becoming of pretending that she wasn't turning into a demon powerful enough to destroy the earth in a single night.

Nanaba ushered Mina back into the room and the two brothers hurried off to shower and ready for school. Krista retrieved what she had come out to get and then she headed back to the room with an extra damp cloth. Ymir was awake when she closed the door gently behind her.

Ymir startled at the sound and snapped her eyes to the door, and then she visibly relaxed and rubbed a hand over the side of her face. She sat up slowly, chest heaving with anxiety. Krista sat by the edge of the bed and placed the glass and pills on the bedside table. She gripped the cloth and reached out to touch Ymir's cheek.

"What's wrong?"

Ymir furrowed her brows and scowled. "Nothing."

Krista could see that something was wrong. Ymir had been in a full blown panic before she stepped back into the room. Thinking of that made her suddenly realize what the issue could have been.

"Did you think that I left?"

Ymir shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me."

"Do you realize how terrible a liar you are when you're lying to me?" Krista scooted closer and used the cloth to wipe the sweat from Ymir's collarbone. "I'd never leave, you know that."

Ymir smiled despite her still racing heart. "I know," she said quietly.

Krista beamed in response and continued to wipe Ymir down. She didn't need to do this, since Ymir could simply take a shower, but she felt like doing something important for Ymir, to show that she really did care and wanted to put effort into helping.

After Ymir was wiped down the brunette struggled to dress into her school uniform and then swallowed a few pain pills. Her mood remained dampened as the minutes ticked away and by the time she and Krista strode into school, Ymir felt like skipping school and hiding in a ditch somewhere.

She reached out and took Krista's hand in her own, and felt her spirit rise slightly when the blonde looked up and smiled at her. They walked hand-in-hand towards class, ignoring the whispers and the staring.

Since the beginning the students had decided that Ymir wasn't a pleasant person to be around, and she wasn't by nature. She had been extremely aggressive, lashing out to anyone in her way, even if it was someone simply staring. That was a time before Krista had entered the school, and when the blonde had shown interest in Ymir the few friends that Krista had first made were baffled. Over time Krista abandoned the others for Ymir, and now she and Ymir were inseparable. A lot of people had given them problems over it, but Krista obviously kept Ymir calm and no one as stupid as James would try to separate them again. Still—the whispers and gossip continued.

They all thought Ymir was a basket case.

Their register class quieted upon their entrance, and Ymir sent everyone a hard glare. The students immediately looked away, nervous, and started to softly whisper to one another.

Ymir sat down by her usual seat closest to the door, and Krista sat beside her. The second bell hadn't rung yet, so Krista scooted her chair over to Ymir and then she rested her chin on Ymir's shoulder—the brunette was lying on her arms. Ymir smiled faintly but Krista couldn't see it.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Ymir responded tonelessly.

Krista frowned. "You were complaining just a moment ago. What got you so down all of a sudden?"

Ymir shifted and turned her head away from the blonde. "Nothing."

The teacher came in then and Krista had to move back over to her desk. When the second bell rang and the teacher read the announcements to them, Krista could only watch Ymir. Even though the brunette claimed to be fine, her shoulders were shaking and her fists were balled into tight, whitening fists.

She was already in so much pain.

XxX

When first break started Ymir was irritated beyond belief. People wouldn't stop staring at her, or whispering about her. Ever since she had nearly beaten Edward to death, people wouldn't stop acting as if she was a monster.

But who was she kidding? She was steadily growing into one.

Ymir left her third period and made her way outside. She watched out for Krista, wanting nothing more than to be enveloped in the blonde's warmth and love. She would never admit how much she depended on Krista for emotional comfort.

The corridor she walked through spread out before her, students fleeing to classes or pressing themselves to the wall. When Ymir caught sight of Edward and James standing together in a doorway, she couldn't control the smirk she sent their way.

Edward was quick to look away, to hide his permanently crooked nose and the large scar underneath his eye. James limped a step backwards, forced to permanently walk in such a way, and glared fiercely. Ymir snapped her attention away the minute she realized what she was doing and forced her lips into a frown.

She hated when sadistic pleasure dictated her actions.

The fact that Krista hadn't bumped into her yet, in a rush to be by her side, made Ymir's blood pressure rise. She had no faith in her own ability to remain calm, and so she quickened her footsteps and then paused by the door of the school building.

There, on the grass where students grouped together to eat and talk, Krista stood with a tall blonde guy. Ymir didn't recognize him, but he had a hard edge to his face. His entire body was bulky and muscular and the sight made Ymir internally cringe. What was further troubling was the smile he kept giving Krista, and how he kept brushing a hand over her shoulder. After a minute of staring and thinking, Ymir flicked her eyes away, ashamed.

She wanted to kill him. She wanted to close her fist and make his large body explode into red mist. The desire was so great that Ymir felt the air shimmering around her, and the veiny marks along her body almost seemed to shiver in delight. They burned, and Ymir hastily clutched at her chest in an attempt to grab at the pain and make it stop

_She should just find someone like him. Marry someone else, have kids and live a happy, healthy life, _Ymir thought. _I'm the worst decision she has ever made. How can I protect her when she is the one doing the protecting? I can barely function anymore. Krista deserves more. She deserves an equal—not a broken monster like me._

It wasn't the first time Ymir had thoughts such as these. Since the moment Krista had professed love towards her, Ymir had doubted and felt ashamed that someone as wonderful as Krista felt that way. She felt like she was manipulating the blonde into liking her. Sometimes she even physically harmed her. Ymir felt not one shred of trust in herself. She despised her existence, but she was cursed to live until her heart simply ceased to function.

When Ymir had first discovered what her life meant she had attempted to end it. First she had taken so many pills that it would have killed her instantly, but absolutely nothing happened. She had then tried to stab herself, but the wounds healed too quickly. No matter what she had tried, her body was determined not to perish. It was in those moments that Ymir realized she had no choice but to stay alive, and that she had to figure out her own way of surviving.

She had been so angry at the world. Since the beginning Ymir despised everyone and everything.

But Krista hadn't looked at her like she was a beast. Krista hadn't treated her like dirt. The blonde gave her a sense of being alive, not just existing. The intense attachment Ymir had to Krista was almost sickening. It was frightening and it would only ever lead to something terrible. But Ymir was as selfish as she was angry. No matter how many times her hands hurt Krista, she still wanted to hold her and caress her skin. No matter how many times she made the blonde cry, she still wanted to wipe her tears away and promise to never hurt her again. No matter how many times she pushed Krista away, she still wanted to pull her back and never let her leave.

Ymir's heart suddenly thudded with intense pain, and her face contorted in agony. It was physical and emotional and Ymir suddenly felt a bubbling panic claw up from her stomach and her lungs forgot how to work. She couldn't breathe or think and she started to hyperventilate sickeningly. Students walking by sent her alarmed looks, but no one offered to help.

Ymir's chest burnt intensely and with a spurt of strength she pushed off from the wall she had fallen against and then made her way to her only hope at life.

What approach should she take? Aggressive and possessive? Calm and concise? Ymir couldn't decide. She just continued to stumble closer, hand outstretched, reaching for the blonde.

Krista hadn't noticed her yet, but her body language had changed. She now had her arms crossed over her chest and an angry scowl on her face. The log she was talking to looked amused. He continued to speak.

"Come on, it's just a date."

"Reiner, you're new here. You shouldn't ruin your first day by looking for trouble with me. I may be small but I will attack if I feel threatened."

Reiner's eyes widened slightly, and then he cracked up and started to laugh. "Oh lord, they weren't kidding!"

"Who wasn't kidding?"

"Everyone in my class! I noticed you this morning and did some asking around. They all told me not to even look at you because of that psycho stuck to you. Where is she, by the way? She didn't look all that threatening to me."

Krista rolled her eyes, unimpressed. She was about to comment, but then Ymir's strangled voice cut in.

"Krista is _mine_."

Reiner blinked in surprise and stepped back in alarm when he caught sight of the furious expression on Ymir's face. She looked pale and she was hyperventilating, clutching at her chest as if she was having some sort of attack.

Krista immediately reacted to Ymir's appearance. "Ymir! What happened? Are you okay?"

Ymir didn't respond. She kept staring into Reiner's unsure face. She had heard their last few exchanges. "If you ever touch what's mine again, I will take something that's yours and destroy it while you watch." She cracked an ugly grin and tightened the fist at her heart.

"What the fuck, man? She isn't your property!" Reiner yelled. People in the vicinity immediately turned to watch the ruckus. Some people grew concerned for Reiner, while others whispered that maybe he had enough guts to attack Ymir. They were anticipating an epic battle.

Krista frowned. "Reiner, I don't appreciate you speaking to Ymir that way."

"I have a damn right to defend myself! She's acting like I just committed a sin!"

Ymir laughed, long and hard and it was so painful that she collapsed to her knees. Suddenly her body convulsed and—heart racing too fast—she vomited a pool of blood.

"Shit," Ymir cursed between gushes of blood. She collapsed onto her back and couldn't control the pain wracking through her limbs. The black marks, throbbing and bleeding, stained her uniform red and burnt. They extended further, now crawling over her shoulders up to her neck. They paused just before touching her jaw, and by her arms they ceased growing just to her wrists.

Ymir threw up again and put a hand to her mouth in a lame attempt to keep the blood from spilling out.

Krista was on her knees in seconds, panicking. Reiner stumbled back a good few steps and watched with revulsion, utterly confused about why the cute blonde hung around such a disturbed person with obviously freaky health issues. Other students continued to watch and someone finally ran to find a teacher.

This wasn't the first time Ymir had lost a lot of blood due to puking it up, but it was the first time Krista had ever seen her lose so much. Ymir was in obvious pain, so she quickly pulled Ymir towards her and let her head rest on her lap. She gently cupped Ymir's face in her hands and leaned down to touch their foreheads.

"Ymir, please calm down. Your body can't handle your emotions. Just relax and breathe."

But she couldn't. Blood seeped down her throat and leaked into her lungs. Ymir coughed violently and struggled against Krista's hold until eventually the blood stopped and she could breathe again.

The teacher arrived then, gasping in horror at the scene. "Ymir what have you done now?!" he yelled. It was common for a teacher to assume Ymir had done some bad deed to warrant so much blood. It took a second for the teacher to realize that it was actually Ymir's blood, and then he grew concerned if the student was alive or not.

"Krista," Ymir lifted a bloody hand and touched Krista's jaw. Her eyes had tears leaking from them. "Please take me away from here."

Krista nodded once, and then she helped Ymir up onto her feet. She swung one of Ymir's long arms around her shoulder and quietly encouraged the brunette to stand.

"Hang on, I'll call an ambulance!" the teacher said hurriedly.

Krista turned pitying eyes towards him. "It's okay, I'll take her."

No one made a sound. No one breathed.

The teacher nodded dumbly.

Ymir chuckled lightly as Krista dragged her to the school gate. "I didn't think this would ever happen at school," she said. "Usually happens after I wake up from a dream."

Krista's arm wrapped around Ymir's waist tightened and she gave Ymir's hip a pat. "Yeah, well it was bound to happen sometime."

"I usually feel when it will happen."

"Then what happened this time?"

They reached Ymir's car and Krista helped her into the passenger seat.

"I…" Ymir sighed heavily and used her sleeve to wipe some blood from her chin. She was so immune to the sight of thick, mucus-like blood that she barely reacted to being covered in it now.

Krista fastened Ymir's seatbelt and then hurried to the driver's side. "Do you have the keys on you?"

Ymir nodded and pointed at her pocket. She felt so tired, like if she closed her eyes she wouldn't wake up. She could barely move, either. The pain was still there but it was ebbing. Glancing in the side mirror made Ymir sigh, because the marks were now visible—three large ones spiralled along her neck, one on each side and then one in the centre. The next time they grew, Ymir knew they would cover her face.

Krista quickly fished the keys from Ymir's pocket and then she started the car and drove them out of the school parking lot. "What happened Ymir? What made you so upset?"

"Let's leave," Ymir replied instead.

Krista blinked. "Leave?"

Ymir nodded. "Leave school, this city, our families." She lazily rubbed at the blood along her arms. They weren't heading to a hospital, Ymir knew that. There was no way she would be able to explain why sometimes when she got too upset her body reacted by making her throw up most of her blood.

"Okay," Krista responded without hesitation. "We can pack a few essential things and then head out tonight. Where could we go, though?"

Ymir laughed softly. "You'd leave on a whim with me, just like that?"

Krista frowned in concentration. "Of course I would."

"I'm so tired of school, Krista. We both know that everyone hates me and I'm tired of being labelled as a beast. I only want you in my life, no one else. I'd even leave without you because I'm so tired of this shitty life."

Krista thought for a moment. "There's nothing I really wanted to study, anyway. I could find a job as a waitress wherever we end up; make just enough for us to travel to the next place. You… you want to find out more about your situation, don't you?"

Ymir glanced at Krista. Unsurprisingly, Ymir's eyes were red. Krista wasn't frightened by them. In fact, when they parked in the driveway to Ymir's house Krista turned towards the brunette after switching the car off. She leaned in as close as she could and took Ymir's jaw in her hand. She studied Ymir's eyes carefully.

The whites were turning grey and would eventually mist over to black. Her irises were a mix between red and brown, and would darken the longer Ymir left them like that.

Krista swallowed. "Your eyes…" she said, grasping for the right words. "They're… um…"

Ymir looked away, frowning. "They look awful, I know."

Krista shook her head and gave Ymir's nose a tap with her finger. "I was going to say something more along the lines of exotic, intense. Beautiful, even."

Ymir's eyebrow lifted. "Krista, are you sure you aren't the mentally retarded one here?"

Krista allowed herself to laugh in amusement. "Maybe I am." She shrugged. "I just don't find them scary."

"But if I was angry at you with these eyes, then you would be scared."

At the moment Ymir was calm. Her body was slowly recovering and some of the blood was starting to evaporate, but she would still need a shower. Her eyes were only changing because her body was trying to change into what it naturally was. Ymir, however, wouldn't let it. She strained to keep her body from changing, but it sometimes took a little time and concentration to revert the shifting.

"Okay," Krista said, seriously considering it, "I think that maybe if you were furious at me and your eyes changed, I'd be scared a little."

"A little?" Ymir's eyes narrowed and darkened. She suddenly shot forward, pushing Krista against the car door, and then she growled so loudly that Krista's eyes slammed shut and she covered her ears. When she opened her eyes, Ymir's teeth were bared inches from her face, bloody and sharp and she looked so angry that Krista felt a shiver of terror rocket up her spine.

Ymir's head cocked to the side, and then the anger faded away to sadness and she gently pulled Krista up with her. "You were absolutely terrified," she concluded.

Krista's heart was pounding in her ears. Her body tingled from the adrenalin that had yet to fade away. She sucked in a few large breaths and then she turned to Ymir with a disapproving frown.

"Of course I would get the fright of my life if you do that!"

Ymir shook her head in exasperation and rubbed at her sore eyes. "Stop acting like I'm not dangerous and like you aren't scared of me."

Krista scratched her cheek. "Okay, yes, I'm still scared of you when you might attack me. But on your normal days? I don't fear you. I love you Ymir." Krista reached out and clasped Ymir's hand in her own. She felt Ymir's claws and glanced down to see that they had grown out. Ymir's fingers were also larger than they should have been.

"Love?" Ymir said with a scoff. "What is love, really?"

"It's the unbearable emotions you hold for another. The care and need and desire."

Ymir snorted. "I'm not in love with you Krista, I'm obsessed with you. I'm dependant on you and in need of you."

Krista blushed lightly despite the tense atmosphere. "Well, that can be your own kind of love. We all love differently."

"Then my form of love is twisted and should be shied away from."

Krista groaned and fell onto Ymir's lap. "Ymir, baby, please stop getting so dramatic. So far I've loved the way you love me."

Ymir's brows furrowed and her cheeks highlighted with a small blush, though it was barely visible thanks to the drying blood on her skin.

"What are we, Krista?" Ymir asked.

Krista sat up in Ymir's lap and traced the black marks on her neck. She actually thought that they looked really cool, though she would never admit that to Ymir because the brunette was intensely ashamed of the markings.

"We are friends," Krista answered. "We are family. But are we lovers?"

Ymir seemed irritated that Krista was asking that of her instead of answering it herself. "Well, we kiss. Normal couples kiss, right?"

Krista grinned. "They do."

"We… hold hands, too."

"We also cuddle." Krista added.

"What else do couples do?"

Krista shrugged. "Whatever they want to do."

"What do you want to do?"

Ymir barely initiated more than holding hands and a light kiss; More times than not she was unsure of what actions to take and if Krista would be appreciative of them or not. Their physical relationship was so tame that Krista sometimes grew frustrated—but that wasn't something a little self-loving couldn't take care of. Ymir was so scared of her own body that Krista knew they would never really be able to be more intimate. Besides, she wasn't even sure if they were actually dating because neither of them had spoken about it.

Even though Krista had confessed her feelings and Ymir had sorted of responded to them, the nature of their relationship was still a mystery to the both of them.

"_Krista, what's wrong?" Ymir was watching the small blonde fidget and blush, and her actions were starting to make Ymir nervous. Was she doing something wrong?_

"_N-nothing, really," Krista responded. She bit into her lip and closed her eyes for a moment to breathe and calm her heart. _

_She and Ymir had been hanging out for two years then, and since the very first moment Krista had looked into Ymir's haunted eyes, she had fallen head-over-heels in love with her. It was so intense that her skin would tingle and burn whenever Ymir touched her. _

_For two years she had kept the feelings to herself, but it was becoming more difficult. As she learnt about Ymir's problems, they grew closer. Often Krista had to comfort Ymir by holding her through the night or simply holding her hand when she was troubled. It confused Krista, but she supposed that Ymir wasn't very versed in teenage love affairs. It was amusingly obvious how Ymir was ignorant in social interactions. She had avoided communication so vehemently before that she lacked the most basic social skills. Thankfully Krista was the kind of bug that dug its teeth in and never let go, so she had desperately worked to gain Ymir's trust until the brunette stopped ignoring her and yelling for her to piss off._

_But now Krista had reached her limit and she desperately needed to confess or else her heart was sure to burst. More than anything she wanted Ymir's love and devotion all to herself, and even if the brunette didn't feel that way about her now Krista was determined to make Ymir fall in love with her._

_Krista was over the days of hating herself and living for others. Now she only lived for Ymir and herself, and she was giving into one of her most selfish desires; teenage hormones._

_Krista fidgeted again and decided on a bold move. She crawled onto Ymir's lap and nervously grabbed a hold of her shoulders. Ymir was wearing a tank top, so Krista was mostly holding onto Ymir's burning skin. Just that slight contact made Krista's lower regions throb. Her heartbeat spiked and it took a few seconds for her to level out her breathing enough to speak._

_Ymir had been staring in panic the entire time._

"_K-Krista?"_

"_Ymir, how do you feel about me?" Krista asked nervously. _

_Ymir seemed confused, if the narrowing of her eyes and scrunching of her eyebrows was any indication. Krista almost squealed at how cute it was. _

"_I, um… pleasant?"_

_Krista sucked in a breath and slapped a hand to her forehead before she burst into laughter. "Really Ymir? Pleasant?"_

_Ymir shrugged lamely and grew flustered. "Was it wrong? I don't know what I'm supposed to say."_

_Krista lifted her head and couldn't help but look down at Ymir's lips. They were thin and wide, but they looked so soft and tasty. Krista's heart began to race again, and then it skipped a good couple of beats when Ymir suddenly pressed her palm to Krista's chest, right above her heart—and also mostly over her breast._

"_Your heart is beating too fast," Ymir said softly, worried. "Are you sick? What's wrong?" _

_The thundering sound of Krista's heart pounding excitedly filled Ymir's ears, making her own heart speed up to match its rhythm. _

"_Oh Ymir, I love you so much," Krista uttered. She fell forward and wrapped her arms around Ymir's neck, burying her face against the warm skin there. The blonde felt Ymir swallow._

_It seemed that even though she was oblivious to certain body language, Ymir's own body still reacted to specific situations. Right now it was reacting exactly as Krista's was, and the blonde wondered if Ymir's skin tingled when she touched it too. Did Ymir become breathless when she thought about the blonde?_

_Ymir hesitantly wrapped her arms around the small body against her chest, and then the strangest warmth enveloped her. It was nothing like she had ever felt before, and it reminded her of the comfort of being held lovingly by a parent. The sensation was strange, because it was also accompanied by the strangest tingle that shot down Ymir's spine to between her legs._

"_About you," Ymir eventually said. "How I feel is…" she paused and Krista sat up to nervously watch her face. "Warm." Ymir finally concluded._

_Krista watched the brunette's brown eyes cloud over in a multitude of emotions and when she saw care and love there, she could not control herself and leaped forward to press her lips to Ymir's. Ymir was so surprised that she released a high pitched squeak, and then she hesitantly kissed back until they were both flushed and breathing heavily._

"_You are so special to me," Krista said fondly, running her fingers through Ymir's short brown hair. "Don't ever forget that. I love you more than anything."_

_Ymir nodded dumbly, unsure of what other response was needed. Krista rested against her chest again and Ymir hugged the blonde to her body. She pressed her cheek to Krista's blonde hair and decided that she liked the warmth and that she never wanted to lose it. _

_Krista made her feel so warm and tingly inside. It was the most alive she had ever felt._

"I want to touch you," Krista answered, running a finger down Ymir's neck until her collarbone, making Ymir shiver. "I want to talk to you, laugh with you, cry with you and get angry with you." She grinned then and brushed their noses together, causing Ymir to smile so adorably that it melted Krista's heart. "I want to hold your hand, and cuddle with you when it's cold. I want to share my dreams and secrets with you. I want to kiss you." To add to her words Krista leaned in and pressed a light kiss to Ymir's lips.

"I'll taste like blood," Ymir warned.

Krista giggled. "Then I'll have to collect a kiss later. You owe me."

Ymir rolled her eyes but smiled. Her smile then turned nervous. "Is that… is that it?"

Krista calmly shook her head. "No. I'd like to be more intimate with you one day."

"M-more intimate?"

The more Krista caressed her skin the hotter Ymir felt. She knew what Krista meant. She wasn't as naïve and ignorant as she had been three years ago.

Krista leaned in close and brushed their lips together, though not kissing just yet. She inhaled through her nose and then closed her eyes, blushing lightly. "I want to make love to you one day."

Ymir's stomach filled with butterflies and the red in her eyes sharpened. However, her claws withdrew until her hands were back to normal, and then she captured Krista's lips between her own and used both hands to grip Krista's small hips.

Krista didn't care that Ymir tasted like blood. All she could focus on was the heat of Ymir's tongue, of the pressure as it danced against her own. She shivered when Ymir's hands slipped underneath her shirt and trailed upwards along her back to caress her shoulders. Ymir then dragged her fingertips downwards, gently, making Krista moan lightly and squirm.

Krista could feel heat pooling between her legs but she did no act on it. More than likely Ymir could smell it, and just the thought of what the brunette might be thinking made Krista blush more intensely.

Eventually Ymir ended the kiss, lightly pushing Krista away from her body. "We should get out of the car," Ymir said softly, panting and eyes averted.

Krista sighed softly but obeyed and climbed out of Ymir's lap to exit through the driver's side door. Ymir almost whimpered when the warmth of Krista left her skin.

When they had exited the car Krista grabbed Ymir's hand and smiled up at her. "You should shower quickly, because you still owe me a proper bloodless kiss."

Ymir lifted an eyebrow. She had just rejected Krista and the blonde was acting as if nothing had happened. Perhaps it was that she was simply used to it. Ymir felt bad, so when they walked through the front door she lightly pressed Krista against it and then ghosted a kiss over her lips.

"I'm sorry," she said, her breath washing over Krista's quivering lips.

Krista smiled. "You don't need to apologise. I understand. I don't need sex from you to love you. I can live without it, forever even, if I have to."

Ymir straightened and rubbed at the back of her neck. "Forever? I don't think I'd be cool with that."

"Oh so you get all hot and bothered too?" Ymir blushed and Krista laughed. "Good to know that I'm not the only frustrated one." She gave Ymir a firm hug. "But you don't need to worry about things like sex, okay? If you feel that you're one day ready for it, then that's cool, and if you're never ready then that's cool too."

Ymir gave Krista's head a pat. "I'll shower quickly. We should pack after and leave before everyone gets home."

Krista nodded and reached around Ymir to give her firm buttocks a wonderful squeeze. Ymir gasped softly and then she frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you trying to molest me?"

Krista laughed and waved her hand. "Go and shower, you big baby. I'll be out here watching TV." She plopped down onto the couch and then reached for the remote, but paused. "Oh wait I'm full of blood. Damn." She turned to Ymir. "Could I shower too?"

Ymir went red to the tips of her ears. "What?! We… you… together?"

Krista stood and grinned. "No, silly. I'll use the shower in Nanaba's room. Could I borrow some clothes for now, though?"

Ymir released a relieved breath and nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll get something quick." She hurried to her room to grab a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and then she found Krista in Nanaba's bathroom, already preparing to undress. "Here." She handed the clothes, kissed Krista on the forehead and then made her way to her own room, more than ready to peel her clothes off and get the remaining dried blood off.

Ymir's room was dark, thanks to her thick, black curtains, so she had to switch a light on and then the bathroom light as well. She switched the shower on and fumbled to get her clothes off while the water warmed.

Now naked, Ymir paused to inspect the extended marks. They looked the same, just longer. The ones on her neck bothered her the most, because she wasn't sure what others would make of them. Sure, they could be passed off as tattoos but who gets a weird black vein tattoo on their neck?

Shrugging the irritation off, Ymir got into the shower and sighed when the warm water washed over her worn body. She pressed her hands to the shower wall and bowed her head, letting the water run over every inch of herself.

The water at her feet dyed red for a long while as Ymir worked at scrubbing the substance from her skin and hair. After she was properly cleaned of blood, Ymir froze underneath the water and stared down at her palms. They were pinkish because of the heat, and the black veins looked as if they were still crawling up her wrists to invade her unmarked skin.

Ymir thought of Krista then. She imagined what it would be like to touch Krista without feeling scared of hurting her, without having to hold back because she had such unnatural strength and she couldn't control it. Ymir even imagined what it would be like to pleasure Krista with her hands.

The thought was absurd, but a sudden sadness invaded Ymir's senses and she felt droplets splash against her open hands

They were not water droplets.

Ymir realized that she had tears pouring over her skin, and when she did she angrily wiped them away and sniffed loudly. Was she seriously crying?

She wished that she could be normal. She wanted to be able to normally interact with Krista, but she couldn't.

It was about time she accepted what she was, but it was so difficult. It was painful to know what she was and angering to know that she hadn't chosen this. She was born this way, and absolutely nothing would ever negate that.

A monster is always a monster; it might just take different forms. Its form this time had brown eyes and freckles.

Ymir quickly got over her sudden depression and dressed as quickly as she could. She wore a long sleeved black cotton shirt, black jeans and then a red hoodie. Once she slipped a pair of shoes over her feet she bounded out of her room and down the hallway to the lounge. There she found Krista seated comfortably, remote in hand and eyes trained on the TV.

Krista heard Ymir's footsteps and turned with a smile. When she caught sight of Ymir she lifted her hand and made a gesture for Ymir to sit beside her. Ymir obeyed and Krista quickly crawled into her lap.

"Your hair is a lot longer than it used to be," Krista pointed out.

Ymir self-consciously ran a hand through her wet hair. "Do you prefer it short?"

"I don't know about preferring it short but I really did like how you looked. I guess I also just want you to be proud of who you are, instead of ashamed."

Ymir understood what she meant. By letting her hair grow, Ymir was concealing the marks on her neck. Well, it was no longer a problem anymore because Ymir could do nothing to cover the marks in the front, and she was so tired of hiding that she wasn't motivated to find a different solution.

Ymir considered something for a while, and then she turned Krista's head with a finger under her chin, and smiled. "I think I'll get it cut sometime soon."

Krista's eyes widened to saucers, and then welled with tears. It was an absolutely dramatic reaction, but Krista knew what it meant to Ymir. It meant that Ymir would try to show her marks without feeling ashamed. When she chose to cut her hair, and how long she managed to keep it like that were the real questions, but Krista was proud of Ymir for simply uttering the sentence.

"I can cut it for you, before we leave," Krista suggested.

Ymir lifted a hand to trace the familiar lines at the back of her neck. She remained quiet, and then she frowned and nodded once. "Okay."

Krista laughed then, overjoyed. "What kind of hairstyle do you want? I think a punk style would make you look so hot. How about an undercut? Oooh what about short enough for a mowhawk?" Krista babbled on and on, and Ymir realized that Krista knew more about hair than she had thought.

"Since when did you become a hairdresser?"

Krista quieted and grinned proudly. "Well, I go to this guy called Jean and he always used to do my hair. I once asked him how he cuts hair so perfectly and he spent an entire day teaching me how. I don't think I'm good enough to work as one but I can certainly do your hair fabulously." Krista ran a hand through Ymir's hair to ruffle it. "When do you wanna cut it?"

Ymir swallowed, suddenly extremely nervous. She squeezed her eyes shut, inhaled and exhaled through her nose, and then opened her eyes. "Now?"

Krista's eyes sparkled.

XxX

A few hours later Ymir was strapping her seatbelt in and Krista jumped into the passenger seat. They had just finished packing a few things into the trunk as well as the backseat—things such as canned food, clothing, toiletries and blankets and pillows.

When Ymir started the car, she nervously glanced at her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Her hair was much, much shorter now. It was closely cropped at the sides, while the hair on top of her head was still relatively long, curling over her forehead just before her eyebrows. Although it had been a harrowing experience, Ymir felt a lot more at ease now. Her initial panic had subsided. Even after being able to see the marks at the back of her neck, Ymir continued to convince herself that this was a good decision.

Another helpful fact was that Krista couldn't stop running her hand through Ymir's hair and cooing. It was partly annoying as hell but mostly pleasant, since it made Ymir feel attractive instead of repulsive. At least Krista still _wanted_ to jump her bones, demon heritage aside.

Before she drove away from the house, though, Ymir paused to stare at it and silently thank the people that had tried to be her family.

"They'll miss you," Krista said softly, a hand placed on Ymir's shoulder in comfort. "But they'll understand. If you want, we can always come back to visit."

Ymir finally reversed and shook her head. "Nah. I don't think they'd want to see my face again." She drew in a deep breath. "They would never admit it, but I was too difficult to handle."

Krista rolled her eyes but silently allowed the comment. She relaxed back into her seat and glanced at the time. It was still early afternoon, so they had a lot of light to travel before night-time.

"So, which way are we heading?"

"North," Ymir answered. "Towards Dena."

Krista nodded. "Okay, Dena. Cool. What will we do there?"

Ymir shrugged. "Heard some weird shit happens there, so maybe someone has some knowledge of demons and stuff."

"Isn't it a farm town though?"

"Yup. Not many people live there."

"It should be easy to get a small job then."

Ymir nodded absently. She focused on driving through the city until it was far behind them. The moment they passed by the sign greeting those leaving Ymir felt an invisible weight drop from her shoulders; it was as if she could suddenly breathe again, and Ymir wasn't sure what to make of the feeling. Had the city been doing something to her?

Whether it had or not, she was out now. She suddenly felt free and happy and it was a feeling that hardly entered her heart.

Krista decided to turn the radio on, and a song from Imagine Dragons blasted through the car. Krista immediately jumped to singing her lungs out and though the lyrics bothered Ymir, she couldn't help but tap her finger along with the beat.

Long behind them it was almost as if the goodbye sign was waving.

"**Thank you for visiting Malia, farewell and visit again soon!"**

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><p>Reviews would be appreciated! I don't bite, even if you ask.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**There is no playlist for chapter II. **

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><p><strong>II<strong>

* * *

><p>"Mom, she left."<p>

Nanaba's fingers quivered as she gripped the cellphone between them. On the other end of the call was her foster mother, who had grown deathly silent before inhaling loudly.

"When?"

"Seems like this afternoon. She took some food and stuff from the bathroom. Her blankets and clothes are gone too."

As she spoke Nanaba stared at the slip of paper in her hand. It had been left on her bed and the sloppy script was easily recognized as Ymir's.

"Nanaba, have you told the others?"

"No, they're in the lounge watching TV. What should I do? Ymir isn't answering her phone and she didn't say where she's going."

"Do you think she's alone?"

Nanaba slumped down the wall she had been leaning on and sat on the floor. "She said Krista is with her. Will they be okay out there?"

"Nanaba, Ymir is a survivor. She may have decided to no longer rely on us and instead make a life for herself."

"But she needs help, mom. You know that she has too many problems to look after herself."

Nanaba's foster mother sighed softly. "Nanaba dear, Ymir does have a lot of problems. She is difficult to understand and communicate with. No matter what she will always be a part of this family. Give it some time and she'll return."

"How can you be so sure?"

The woman shrugged on her end. "I'm not, but a mother can hope."

Nanaba's head dropped. "I'm so worried about her. The others are going to be so upset. How is Mina going to take it? She idolizes Ymir."

"You know what, I'll get your father right now and we'll head back home tonight. I'm already booking a flight. Can you handle the others until then?"

Nanaba smiled in relief. "I can. I think they're all going to need you both right now."

"And I'll need to inform the school. I'm going to start packing now, so tell the others."

"Okay, thanks mom."

"Oh, Nanaba?"

"Yeah?

"Please stay safe."

Nanaba smiled genuinely for the first time since coming home and finding Ymir's goodbye note. "I will, I promise."

"Good girl."

Her mother ended the call and then Nanaba lifted the note and read it once more.

'_Nanaba, I've taken Krista with me. We're leaving Malia. Please don't try to find us, but let her parents know. She left a note for them behind this one. We might never return, but I want you to know that I appreciate everything you and the others did for me. I just can't be your problem anymore. I need this, and everyone else does too. _

_Ymir.'_

Nanaba reluctantly stood and made her way to the lounge, already mentally working out what she would tell her siblings.

Seriously, what was Ymir thinking?

XxX

Ymir locked her phone and tossed in onto the dashboard, frowning despite the earlier happy mood. She had several missed calls and text messages from Nanaba, and it made her feel unnecessarily guilty. She hated the feeling and the anger was already starting to bubble inside.

They had been driving for a good few hours and Krista had now taken over since Ymir had gone into another fit of pain, almost veering them off of the road. Krista had made a decision then that despite it being Ymir's car, only she would drive. When Ymir had argued Krista had swiftly shot her argument down with a stern warning. Ymir had been upset and embarrassed but slightly impressed by the blonde's sudden tenaciousness.

"Ymir, I'm getting really thirsty," Krista said.

"So?"

Krista turned to give Ymir a look. She sounded upset and the expression on her face was anything but happy. She spotted the phone and then realized what the problem was.

"Why don't you switch it off for now?"

"Yeah." Ymir leaned forward and grabbed the phone again, and then she shut it off and placed it back down where it had been. "Good idea."

Krista nodded happily to herself and then spotted a petrol station up ahead. It was close to seven in the evening, so the bright lights and signs of the shops and surrounding cars broke through the collecting darkness.

Krista made the turn off and parked by the petrol pumps to have the car filled up again. After having one of the workers tend to that task, Krista turned to her brooding partner and reached out to run a hand through her shortened hair.

"You look seriously hot, babe."

Ymir was in no mood for compliments so she said nothing, only continuing to stare out of the window, arms crossed over her chest.

"Come on Ymir, let's go and get some snacks. I think you need some sugar."

Krista climbed out of the car, confident that Ymir would follow. The brunette did, though she shoved her hands into her pockets and kept her eyes low as she followed Krista to the shop. The doors automatically swished open when they were near enough, and the air inside was colder than outside. It sent a short shiver through Krista, who immediately went to the section of the store where they kept the sweets.

"Oh! I want some Sour Worms. Hmm, Astros, Jelly Tots, oh my god they have M&Ms!" Krista grabbed the mentioned sweets and ordered Ymir to hold her hands out. Ymir sighed and did as she was told, receiving all of the packets in her large hands. As the pile grew she had to use her arms and her brows began to tick in annoyance.

Krista studied the shelf excitedly after finding something to drink, now deciding on a few packets of chips for the ride. She wasn't paying particular attention to her surroundings, though, and crashed right into someone when she stepped backwards.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" the person yelled angrily. "You could've—" she paused suddenly when she glanced up and caught sight of Krista reaching out to her.

"I'm so sorry. I was being a 'tard for not watching around me. Are you hurt?"

The girl dumbly shook her head and allowed Krista to pull her up. Ymir didn't like the look in her girl's eyes, so she cleared her throat and stepped up behind Krista, pressing against her, like a looming shadow.

"Whoa, is this your bodyguard or something? Damn." The girl's eyes swept over Ymir's form, pausing at the marks on her neck. Ymir felt the urge to withdraw and look away, but she forced herself to continue staring threateningly.

Krista tilted her head back to stare up at Ymir. She giggled and lifted a hand to poke her cheek. "Stop looking so grumpy, we're here to have fun."

Ymir rolled her eyes and sighed, but her tense stance didn't relax.

"At a petrol station?" the girl asked in amusement. "I'm Raiden by the way."

Krista immediately lifted her hand to offer a handshake, and she smiled kindly as they shook hands. "I'm Krista! And this brooding hulk is Ymir, my wonderful—" Krista paused and then looked up at Ymir. "We're dating, right? I can call you my girlfriend?"

Ymir's eyes widened slightly and then she finally looked away, a light blush on her freckles. "Whatever."

Krista shook her head. "It's complicated," she supplied.

"Are those tattoos?" Raiden asked. She had been staring the entire time and could no longer hold her curiosity back. Krista felt Ymir tense against her and reached out to press a hand against her stomach, a touch to comfort her in case things took a bad turn.

"They are."

"They look like veins," Raiden observed. She stepped closer, fingers to her chin and eyes squinted as she concentrated. "I've never seen such dark black ink before. Who did the tattoo?"

"No one you'd know," Ymir replied tightly.

Raiden seemed disappointed. "Aw man, that sucks. They look so cool. Do you just have them on your neck, or…?" Raiden studied Ymir's exposed skin and spotted the same veiny marks along her arms, since Ymir had shoved the sleeves of her shirt up to her elbows. "Oh hey you have them on your arms too!"

"I have them everywhere," Ymir said, surprising Krista more than herself.

"Oh cool, could you show me?"

Krista's eyes widened and when Raiden saw it she quickly raised her hands and waved them, laughing. "Oh no, not like get naked or anything, I meant like just point out the pattern!" She laughed a little longer at the mental image, and Krista joined her.

"Um…" Ymir lifted a hand to run through her hair, unsure of what to say or do. Her heart was pounding in nervousness.

"Oh shit your hair looks cool too!" Raiden exclaimed. "Oh man, you should totally get a lip or eye-ring. That would suit your look so well!"

Krista sent Ymir a nervous glance. She knew how Ymir felt about that. The brunette would never want to have something like a lip-ring, since it would make her look even weirder than she naturally did.

At least Ymir only looked slightly annoyed and not like she was about to snap and break Raiden's face.

"It… it starts from my chest here," Ymir pressed a finger to the exact point where the marks began. "And they stretch down my stomach, around to my back and then up over my shoulders to my neck and down my arms."

Raiden nodded, interested in Ymir's smooth voice. "Oh man how much did they hurt to get?"

Suddenly Ymir's face grew serious and she turned on her heels. "Krista, this is enough unhealthy shit. Can we leave?"

Krista sent Raiden, who was unsure and startled, an apologetic look. "It was nice meeting you, but I think she's just tired. Good luck with whatever you're doing."

"Oh um, yeah you too! I'm sorry for the questions."

Krista waved her concern away and then hurried to stand by Ymir at the till. Luckily the line moved quickly and paying for the sweets barely took a lot of time, which was really quite surprising.

Unfortunately, the woman at the till gave Ymir a perturbed look when she noticed the marks on her neck, and Ymir could smell the judgement from her. But Ymir seemed to merely sigh it away, and then left with the packet containing their snacks without saying anything. Krista would have thanked the woman, but she didn't, and she glanced over her shoulder to glare when they neared the exit. The woman looked startled at the glare and Krista smirked to herself in satisfaction.

No one looked at Ymir like that and got away with it. Krista hoped that the woman felt bad.

As they left the store and headed for the car, Ymir spotted Raiden heading to the car beside theirs. On a strange impulse, Ymir jogged up to her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. When Raiden turned she seemed surprised and then suddenly turned worried.

"Hey! Um, look I'm sorry for getting all annoying back there, I didn't mean—"

"A lot," Ymir interrupted.

"Um… pardon?"

"These marks," she lifted her free arm, exposing the spiralling black veins marking her tan skin. "They hurt more than anything I've ever experienced."

Raiden's eyes widened and she couldn't look away from the marks. "So… so why did you get them?"

Ymir withdrew her arm and shoved her hand into her pocket, shrugging. "Didn't really have a choice." She didn't wait for a response and walked back to Krista, feeling strange inside. A torrent of emotions tumbled around in her head, confusing her.

Raiden stared after her in confusion and then she shrugged and climbed into the car, waiting for her partner to finish and drive them away.

"I didn't expect you to do that," Krista commented once they were seated. She accepted the M&Ms from Ymir and opened the packet. "Want some?"

Ymir nodded and opened her palm for Krista to pour a few onto it. Once she had Ymir started to pop them individually into her mouth.

"I don't know why I did," she said.

Krista considered her words carefully before she tried to introduce a new idea. "Ymir, did you… was it because she thought the marks looked cool?"

Ymir shrugged. "She's one of the weird ones then."

"Then that makes me one too."

Ymir's eyes widened and she seemed to freeze. Slowly she turned her head, anxiety and hope and surprise washed over her face. "What does that mean?"

Krista merely shrugged this time. "Figure that out for yourself." She tossed the last of the chocolate candy into her mouth and then drove them out of there, continuing north towards Dena. It would take another few hours and they would probably have to find somewhere to park the car to sleep.

Ymir sunk down into the seat, arms crossed over her stomach and legs folded. She pressed her forehead to the car door, closed her eyes and prepared to have a little nap. Krista simply continued to drive.

XxX

"Krista, I don't have a good feeling about this," Ymir said a tad bit nervously.

Krista glanced behind her, biting her lip in concentration. "Look, let's just meet with her and then if you still feel that way then we can leave." She grabbed Ymir's hand and lightly tugged it. "Come on, she said she knows how to seal it away! We haven't been successful until now!"

Ymir's throat felt thick, like her oesophagus had swollen and air couldn't pass through. Her lungs burnt, her marks tingled and hurt. "Fine," Ymir finally said. She pulled her arm free and allowed Krista to lead her into the mall.

They wandered around for a good hour, trying to find the restaurant they were supposed to meet at, but it seemed that they were just going in circles.

"Where is it?" Krista asked in frustration.

"Where is the note?"

Krista retrieved the piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Ymir. She wasn't surprised when the brunette lifted it to her nose and inhaled deeply, eyes closed. Afterwards she gave the paper back and then took Krista's hand in her own.

"This time follow me."

Ymir used her insane sense of smell to track the scent on the paper. For the first few minutes she wasn't following any specific trail, but then she suddenly caught the familiar scent. It led her outside, to where a large fountain stood in the centre of a plaza. There were multiple tables and chairs scattered around, large umbrellas above them to shield those resting from the sun.

There were little children running about, a few even attempting to jump into the fountain for a swim. Luckily a father hurried to catch his daughter and sternly warned her not to act like an animal in public.

Ymir ignored them and followed her nose to the far side of the plaza. There, sitting in the shade wearing nothing but black, was her. When Ymir made to step towards her a sudden black mass flashed by her and then the woman disappeared. Ymir's heart suddenly stopped and she fell forward, blood climbing up her throat. When she hit the ground she clutched at her chest, spasming.

"Ymir?!" Krista dropped to her knees and panicked, not sure what had happened.

"K-K…" Ymir couldn't talk. Blood poured from her mouth, leaking down her face onto the concrete at her back.

Her heart still wasn't beating even though she was still conscious, still alive. Her lungs were still and it was the most awful feeling Ymir had ever felt in her entire life. She clutched and scratched at her chest, trying to get her heart to beat again, terror and panic filling her gut.

People in the area eventually noticed and some rushed in to see what was happening. They formed a circle around Ymir, blocking the sun and all talking at once. Krista tried to reason when them to step back, but none were listening. Ymir couldn't handle the crowd or the noise, or the pain in her chest, so she started to scream.

The crowd eventually moved back when the screaming turned into something deeper, something more akin to a roar.

Ymir's eyes snapped open and they were black and red, glowing fiercely.

Krista gasped and tried to gather Ymir into her arms, but the brunette's skin was too hot. Her body was almost aflame with heat and Krista could see the veiny marks all along her body begin to bleed and glow red.

Ymir screamed and her body arched as it changed. It was then that Krista finally noticed something. There were small markings on Ymir's wrist, light enough that she hadn't seen them before. When had they gotten there? Were they doing this?

When Ymir calmed and stood on shaking, weak legs, her horns had already split the skin on her forehead. When she glanced up and vacantly met Krista's gaze, the blonde knew that everything had just gone terribly wrong.

Ymir gasped as her eyes shot open and she jerked awake. Her chest heaved. The marks on her body burned almost as much as they had in the dream and Ymir blinked suddenly when she felt blood trickle into her eye. "Fuck," she gasped out softly and hesitantly reached upwards to find the wound.

Her horns were trying to grow again, but had only managed a centimetre so far. It still hurt badly, and Ymir bent over to clutch at her churning stomach. Before she realized it the car had stopped and Krista was pulling her out.

It was just in time and Ymir puked her guts up on the gravel. She heaved and gasped until her stomach was completely emptied of its contents. Ymir shook in pain and wished she was back at home so that she could cool off in a shower.

"Ymir take your shirt off," Krista ordered softly. When Ymir had done so, she retrieved a bottle of water and poured it over Ymir's head and shoulders. The water evaporated slowly, since her skin was alarmingly hot.

"Ymir, look here," Krista gently took Ymir's face in her hands and turned it so that their gazes could meet. "Look at me. Calm down and take deep breaths."

Ymir nodded slightly and took large intakes of air through her nose. Krista's hands were burning slightly but she didn't remove them or let the pain show on her face. Instead she continued to stare into Ymir's red eyes, willing the brunette to get control over herself again.

Slowly, painfully, the changing stopped and Ymir's body turned back to normal. Her blood, along with all of the water, had already evaporated and the wounds caused by her growing horns had healed. Ymir's skin began to cool and Krista finally let her face go to give her a strong hug.

"Oh god, I was so worried." Krista said, tears gathering in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Ymir uttered softly, arms around Krista's torso.

"Don't you dare apologise," Krista said sternly. She withdrew to give Ymir a tap on the nose. "You don't control this. Are you feeling better now?"

Ymir nodded and swallowed the dryness from her throat. "It felt so real," she said softly. "The pain, and when my heart stopped." Ymir clenched her teeth and pressed a fist to her forehead. "I fucking hate this!"

Krista pulled Ymir to her chest and rocked them both slowly. "Shh, it's okay Ymir. It hasn't happened. You're alive and well. Your heart is still beating strong."

Ymir enjoyed the sound of Krista's pounding heartbeat. She wanted to comment that she was a killer, because she had memories that Krista didn't know of yet. Memories from the moment she had been born.

"Are you okay to get back into the car?"

Ymir nodded and pulled herself up, using the car to lean on. She dropped into the seat and allowed Krista to fasten her seatbelt, almost laughing at how Krista was almost like her mother and she the infant. She felt like it sometimes. Like sometimes she forgot how to speak or walk and she would just lie on her back, staring in confusion at whatever was above her.

Krista climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. She cast a worried glance at Ymir and finally leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead.

"I love you Ymir," Krista stated with intense emotion. "I will always love you, no matter what."

Ymir ignored the comment and pressed her forehead to the cold glass of the car window. She pressed a hand to her chest above her heart, already feeling the pain wracking through her limbs. The black marks were starting to ache and for a second Ymir feared that they would grow even longer, but they didn't.

Krista felt like her heart was in her throat, and she hoped that their outing wasn't the worst decision she had ever made. If anything happened to Ymir then she wouldn't know what to do.

After another hour of driving in the dark, Krista finally decided to park beside the road. She managed to convince Ymir to crawl onto the backseat to settle in for sleep, and with little space ended up having to sleep on top of Ymir.

The brunette acted like she didn't care, but really she was glad for the weight on her chest. She did not go back to sleep. Instead she watched Krista's peaceful face.

She never wanted to see Krista cry anguished tears, or it just might break her heart to pieces.

XxX

Krista woke with a little gasp many hours later. It was morning already, with sunlight glaring over her eyes. She felt the car jostle and snapped her head up, scrambling onto her hands and knees. Ymir wasn't below her or even in the backseat. She was in the driver's seat.

Ymir glanced lazily over her shoulder and gave Krista a small smile. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.

Krista nodded, mouth dry. Her heart was still beating too fast, pounding loudly in her ears. For a split second she had thought that Ymir had left her, but now she felt ashamed for the thought. Ymir would never leave her, not when she felt so alone and vulnerable.

"Yeah," Krista finally answered. She climbed into the front passenger seat and ran a hand over her messy blonde locks.

"Heard you gasp," Ymir said. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Krista looked down at her lap. "No, I was just surprised that you weren't there."

Ymir studied the blonde's face carefully, eyebrow lifted. She detected something else in Krista's tone, but she shrugged instead of pointing it out. "Okay."

"When did you wake up?"

Ymir shifted in her seat and tightened her hands on the steering wheel. "Didn't," she answered. "I never went to sleep."

Krista finally noticed the dark circles underneath Ymir's eyes. She looked pained and exhausted. "Ymir, are you feeling okay?"

"Mm," Ymir responded absently. To fill the silence and prevent conversation Ymir turned the radio on and then cranked the volume up to its loudest level. Krista flinched at the sudden noise, but then settled into her seat. She understood that Ymir no longer wanted to talk. Sometimes the brunette would be really difficult about her predicament, especially after a dream.

Krista checked the time on the car's dashboard and then rubbed a hand over her face. It was already ten in the morning. Why had she slept so much? She still felt tired, even.

Ymir lifted one hand to rub the marks at the back of her neck. She was grimacing, so Krista knew that they were probably burning. Krista turned the music down.

"Are they hurting?"

Ymir sighed softly and put her hand back onto the wheel. "I'm fine."

"That's not answering my question."

Krista scooted closer and reached out to touch the marks on Ymir's neck, close to her jaw, but Ymir leaned away from the touch and glared at her.

"I said I'm fine!"

Krista withdrew back onto her seat and frowned. "What is your problem?!"

"Nothing! You just keep making everything seem like one!"

"I only concern myself because I care about you!"

Ymir snorted. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."

The comment hit Krista right in the heart. This was so sudden and she wasn't sure where the hostility was coming from.

"Excuse me?" Krista's tone was incredulous. "I leave my home, my family to leave with _you,_ because I love _you,_ and you act like I'm getting something out of it?"

Ymir didn't respond. Her eyes clouded over with black and red and her hands began to tremble. Anger steadily clawed up her throat.

"I never doubted you once since the day you told me what you're turning into! I didn't turn you away or make you feel bad. How can you treat me like I'm here for some cheap thrill?"

"Just shut up!" Ymir roared. Her foot pressed down harder on the acceleration and the air suddenly felt hot and heavy.

Krista wasn't scared. She was too angry and hurt to feel anything else. She crossed her arms over her chest, lips pressed together firmly. "You do not get to tell me what to do, you asshole. You aren't even supposed to be driving!"

Ymir's teeth clenched together and she was about to retort angrily, but instead she remained quiet, silently boiling and fuming inside.

_Who the hell is she to make this about herself? I just don't want to fucking get her involved. What was I even thinking letting her come with? She's going to hold this against me forever. Fuck._

Ymir started to growl, and although Krista was angry she turned to the brunette in worry.

"Ymir?" Her tone was softer now, still slightly tinged with upset but mostly worried. "What—"

"Don't," Ymir warned.

Krista opened her mouth but shut it when Ymir sent her a stony glare. She hated when Ymir looked at her like that. The little worry she had felt vanished in an instant and she turned forward with an angry glare.

"Stop the car right now," Krista demanded. When Ymir didn't respond she kicked the dashboard. "Stop this damn car right now Ymir!"

Ymir shot her a look. "No!"

But the second the words left her mouth something in the car malfunctioned and a torrent of steam spilled out from the front of the car. There was a crackling noise and then the car died and crawled to a steady stop. When it did Ymir pulled the handbrake up, eyebrow ticking.

"Thank you," Krista said with a smirk. She knew that Ymir's anger must have stuffed the car up, but it made her feel better to poke at Ymir for it.

"I didn't do it intentionally!" Ymir screamed.

Krista had enough at that point so she got out of the car and leaned against the door. It was a lot cooler outside of the car. She hadn't realized how hot the air had suddenly gotten.

Ymir climbed out too and hurried to open the car up to see what had happened. When she lifted the front bonnet steam washed over her and she retreated out of it quickly, coughing and waving the stuff away with her hand. When it cleared she inspected the inside of the car, wishing that she knew what she was looking at. With a sigh she shut it, and then she went over to Krista and stopped beside her.

"Car seems broken. We could walk, I guess. Dena isn't that far away."

Krista lifted her chin, eyes closed, and 'hmpff'ed' as she turned her back to Ymir.

"Seriously?" Ymir said angrily. She rubbed a hand over her face and growled in aggravation.

"We can't leave the car," Krista said.

Ymir simply scoffed and then jumped back into the car, door kept wide open. It was hot and it would only get worse. Krista wasn't saying anything more; she was just standing outside with her arms crossed and an unhappy look on her face. She did not attempt to speak further.

The couple remained stranded for a good hour before a truck suddenly stopped beside them. Krista tapped the glass at her back, slightly nervous, and was relieved when Ymir stepped up beside her and shielded her with her large shadow.

"You two alright?" A man climbed out of the beat-up truck and eyed them suspiciously. He had short, light brown hair with his fringe parted in the middle to each side. His nose was pronounced and he had hair scattered on his chin and upper lip. He started sniffing the air, eyes narrowed.

"The car broke down," Krista answered. Ymir remained silent.

"Where you headed?" he asked.

"Dena."

The man turned suddenly to look down the road, sniffing again. He turned back to them. "What for?"

"Well, we kind of hoped to find somewhere to stay and get a small job. We don't know anyone there."

The man stepped closer and eyed Ymir's exposed marks. "Those tattoos?" he asked. "Are you some kind of delinquent?"

Ymir merely narrowed her eyes in anger. She lifted a hand to cover some of the marks.

"Uh, yes they're tattoos but she isn't a delinquent. Please, could you help us?"

The man remained silent for a long moment as he deeply sniffed the air, and once he was done he smirked and then nodded. "Sure. I'm Mike Zacharias."

"Oh, uh, I'm Krista and this is Ymir!"

Ymir grunted in greeting. Mike walked back to his car and pulled something out. "Attach this to the front bumper," he said to Ymir, holding the rope out towards her. "I'll tow it to my farm just outside of Dena."

Ymir reluctantly obeyed and then they were off, Mike towing them with his truck. Ymir kept her hands on the steering wheel, silent but thinking. She was starting to feel a little guilty. Krista was right, of course. No one had ever shown her that much love before.

Her anger controlled her sometimes, and the lines she had crossed were becoming too many. What would it take for the blonde to eventually leave her? Ymir was terrified of the answer.

A darker part of her mind laughed at her and rejoiced at the thought. Ymir cringed and looked away the entire ride to the farm

XxX

"I don't have much to give you, but you can stay out in my extra barn," Mike explained after towing them successfully to his farm. He was standing by their car. "I'll help you push the car there."

Krista climbed out of the car, still ignoring Ymir, and approached the man. "I'm really grateful for your help, Mr Zacharias."

The man blushed lightly. "Just Mike."

Krista smiled. "Do you know how to fix cars?"

Mike straightened and scratched the bridge of his nose. "Unfortunately not. I have a friend in town that I can call over."

"And how long would that take?"

Mike shrugged. "I'll give him a call and let you know. Shouldn't be more than a day or two."

Suddenly Krista grimaced. "I don't suppose this friend would work for free?"

Mike sighed, like he suddenly felt tired and the troubles of the world weighed on his shoulders. It was comical, if not melodramatic.

"You guys can do a few chores for me and I'll pay him. Deal?"

Krista didn't stop to wonder why he was being so kind. She reached out and grabbed his extended hand to seal the deal with a handshake. "Thank you, we accept the deal."

Ymir glared from where she watched by the driver's seat. She wanted to rip the man's arm off, but kept herself in check and restrained her growl of anger. Surely he would reconsider this deal if he figured out he'd let a freak onto his land.

Ymir climbed out of the car and looked away when Krista glanced at her. "I can push the car myself," she said tonelessly.

Mike gave her a long look, and then he glanced down at Krista. The blonde nodded. He seemed reassured, so he rubbed the hair on his chin and then turned on his heel to head into his house. When the door closed behind him, Ymir went to the back of the car and gripped the bottom of it with both hands. Krista ignored her and Ymir cast her a stony gaze as she used her strength to lift the car and push it effortlessly to the barn Mike had indicated towards earlier. Once it was inside she put it down carefully, rubbed her hands off on her jeans and then sighed.

Ymir opened her mouth to say something to Krista, but remembered that they weren't talking and shut it.

"Uh," Mike suddenly spoke from the double doors of the barn. He looked apologetic and hesitantly walked into the barn. "I just called my friend," he explained.

Krista approached him, smiling in reassurance. "What did he say?"

Mike sighed. "He's not in town right now, and there's no other mechanic in Dena. He'll be back next week."

Krista shrugged. "That's fine. We have no real destination in mind."

Mike sighed in relief. "Here," he handed sleeping bags over to Krista. "I have no extra rooms in my house, so this'll have to do." He spied Ymir looming moodily in the background, and lowered his voice. "Listen, are you okay with that person?"

Krista rubbed a hand over her face. "I'm fine, don't worry. What chores do you want us to do? We could get started right away if you'd like."

Mike seemed unconvinced about Ymir but straightened and nodded his head. "My house needs painting and I've never gotten around to it. Think you could do that? The paint and stuff is already there."

Krista nodded. "Sure thing!"

"We can drive out to Dena for supper, if you and your friend want. I can't cook worth a damn."

"That would be wonderful. We can pay for ourselves."

Mike nodded and then headed out, waving over his shoulders. "Good luck with painting!"

Krista watched his back as he walked away. She sighed softly under her breath, wondering if she should ask Ymir to join her. Had the brunette heard? Krista knew that Ymir had. She had a strong sense of hearing, just like her sense of smell. Would Ymir help though? She was in an especially cruel mood, the kind of mood that Krista hated.

In the end she decided that she was still too upset to talk to Ymir, so she found a hat in the trunk of the car and then headed out to the house. Even if Ymir didn't help her, she'd get started on the chore so that Mike didn't rethink his kindness.

XxX

Mike didn't come out at all after that, and an hour into painting Ymir had reluctantly joined. Krista had been genuinely surprised, but softened after seeing the struggle in Ymir's eyes. She knew that Ymir was too stubborn to admit that she was wrong, so her anger dimmed some, but it was still there. She would be angry until the brunette stopped being a jerk and apologised. Krista didn't deserve the way she had treated her. Even if Ymir couldn't control herself, she had to learn to apologise afterwards.

More times than not she would apologise immediately, but this time she was being overly difficult.

When the sky began to darken, closing in on seven in the evening, Krista finally dropped the paintbrush and wiped sweat from her brow. She was grateful that she had changed into lighter clothes earlier, because now she was covered in droplets of paint.

She washed her hands underneath a nearby tap and then headed back into the barn to change into cleaner clothes. Mike had informed her ten minutes earlier that they would leave soon, so she needed to clean her appearance up.

The entire time she hadn't spoken a word to Ymir, or even looked at her. The brunette had remained just as silent.

After cleaning up Krista fixed her hair in the car's mirror. Her fringe wasn't doing what she wanted it to, so she kept brushing it to the side and then groaning in irritation. With a sigh she gave up, and then she straightened when Mike waved at her from his car in front of the house. She glanced over at Ymir, sitting by their sleeping bags atop some hay. She was brooding, with an unhappy look on her face and her eyes focused on the ground.

"Are you coming?" It was the first time since that morning that Krista had spoken to her, and her voice sounded eerily cold.

Ymir ignored her, so Krista took that as a no and headed out to join Mike. She had her pepper spray in her hoody pocket just in case, but so far she trusted Mike not to try anything weird. He seemed surprised when Krista showed up without Ymir.

"Where is your friend?"

"She decided not to come. Is that alright?"

Mike seemed uncomfortable, but he nodded and climbed into the truck. He started it after Krista climbed in and then drove them towards the road. Krista spared a glance at the barn, wondering what Ymir was thinking. Her anger at the brunette was now climbing and she probably wouldn't be able to contain that anger when she got back.

The ride into town took no more than ten minutes. They had been closer than Krista had thought. It was quiet as they drove, since Mike seemed content not to start conversation. Krista was glad. She wasn't in a mood to talk anyway.

The town itself was smaller than Krista had imagined. Once they entered, there were buildings to each side of the road. They took a right turn and then continued to follow the road until they reached what seemed to be a collection of bars and restaurants. There were few people milling about and just as many cars parked in the area.

Mike parked his truck with a grunt and then hopped out of the vehicle, Krista by his side. Instead of going to a restaurant, like Krista had assumed, he headed for the bar.

It looked generic from the outside, with only one large dirty window that barely allowed one to see the inside. The doors were wooden and opened easily when Mike pushed them open. He paused with a foot inside and turned towards the blonde, suddenly remembering her presence.

"How old are you?"

"Oh, uh, I'm eighteen! I'm legal, don't worry."

Mike nodded and then continued on inside. It was noisy inside, with a single TV blaring atop a stand by the bar counter. Men in overalls sat by the bar, drinking and laughing amongst themselves. Tables were scattered around the bar, with people sitting in groups and all chatting as they shared drinks.

Could they get food here?

Mike took a seat by the bar and motioned for Krista to sit beside him. She did, and eyed him nervously.

"Um, Mr Zacharias, why are—"

"Mike," he corrected. He shrugged his shoulders and lifted a hand to signal for the bartender. "They offer snacks here," he supplied.

Krista deflated in her seat and suddenly missed Ymir a lot. She watched the bartended move over to them and nodded lightly in greeting when his eyes landed on her. He grinned, and Krista wasn't comfortable at the sight.

"Well, well, Mikey. Going for the young ones now?" He threw a cloth over his shoulder and pressed his palms to the table, grinning broadly. His hair was black and spiky, most probably the product of a gelling accident. His skin was dark, and the tan reminded Krista of Ymir. She was really starting to miss her. Was coming here without her a good idea?

"Get the girl something to eat, Berik," Mike said. He paid the earlier comment no mind. "And the usual for me."

Berik rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, old man. Say," he leaned in close to Krista and offered his hand. "What's a cute thing like you doing with this old bastard?"

Krista took his hand in her own and refused to shy away from his leering gaze. "Our car broke down and Mike towed it to his farm for us."

"'Our'? Who you with?"

Krista quickly wiped her hand on her pants and then shoved her hands into her hoody pockets. "My girlfriend," she said confidently. She stared Berik straight in the eye.

Berik reeled back in surprise, eyebrows drawn together. He seemed confused and then troubled, and then he shrugged and all humour dropped from his eyes. He turned away from Krista to yell towards the kitchen. "Nac, make some goddamn food!"

From the kitchen someone yelled back, "We're not a damn restaurant!"

Berik didn't respond and hurried off to tend to another drunkard. He did not look at Krista again.

"Don't mind him," Mike said softly. He looked up and caught Berik's eye. "He can be too forward sometimes."

Krista nodded and leaned back in her seat. She felt uncomfortable, but strangely safe as long as she was with Mike. Berik soon slipped from her mind and she looked around at the bar.

There was a cloud of smoke in the air, much to Krista's distaste, giving the place a foggy look. People that were seated at the tables glanced her way every so often, more than likely not used to visitors, or ones as pretty. Krista ignored the looks and sent them friendly smiles in greeting. Most seemed surprised and didn't look again.

Eventually a wooden bowl dropped down in front of Krista, which startled her, and a man with slicked back brown hair leaned over to Mike.

"Here ya go," he said to Krista. "Mike, how you been man?"

Mike lifted his beer in greeting and continued to drink.

The man rolled his eyes and leaned over to Krista. She was looking at him, trying to gauge if he was as odd as Berik. He seemed nice, and Krista hadn't felt any odd vibes from him yet, even after he got a good look at her face.

"Hiya, I'm Nac Tius. Nice to see that we attract the pretty ones too." The comment wasn't meant flirtatiously. Nac smiled kindly and offered his hand. "Would you like something to drink as well?"

Krista decided that he was safe and nodded. "I'm Krista. It's nice to meet you." She shook his hand.

"Such a pretty name, too!" Nac laughed and then waved Berik over. "Get the girl something to drink, man."

Berik looked bored and shrugged at the request. "What do you want?"

"Uh, a coke please," Krista answered.

Berik scoffed and then melted away to fetch a can out of the fridge. He returned seconds later and dropped it down beside the bowl, venturing back to the other side of the bar afterwards.

"Geez, that man has less wit than my boot," Nac commented, clucking his tongue and shaking his head.

"I think I made him uncomfortable," Krista said. She glanced down at the bowl and felt relieved when she noticed that it was just the usual of fries and onion rings. She took a bite of each and deduced that they weren't bad. Nac had probably made them. "These are good."

"Seriously? I'm glad they're at least edible. Say, how'd you make him uncomfortable?"

Krista swallowed and opened the can of coke. Nac finally seated himself beside her and lifted his hand. Berik immediately dropped a glass of beer in front of him.

"I, um," Krista watched Berik leave. "I don't really know why but he got weird when I told him that I'm here with my girlfriend."

Nac whistled. "The man must be jealous." He laughed and gave Krista a pat on the back. "Don't mind him though," he said. "He's just weird."

Krista smiled after swallowing again and nodded. She turned her gaze to her coke and wondered how long they would be there. Hopefully Mike wouldn't get drunk. Even though his farm was relatively close, Krista didn't want to risk it. If he drank too much maybe she would have to convince him to let her drive.

"Nac," Mike spoke up suddenly. He sniffed at the air and then swallowed the last of his beer. It landed on the table with a thunk when he slammed it back down. "You got a minute?"

Nac glanced at Krista, brows raised, and then back to Mike. He nodded. "Sure man."

Mike hopped off the stool and headed towards the kitchen. Apparently he wanted privacy, since Nac soon followed and then they disappeared. Krista's stomach fluttered nervously for a minute.

Half of the food was eaten and Krista stared at the oily chips for a while. She sipped at her coke slowly, not really tasting the gassy sweetness on her tongue. She thought of Ymir, and as if the brunette had sensed it, her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was a text from Ymir.

"_You okay?_" was all it read, but it was enough to raise Krista's confidence. She smiled down at the screen and quickly typed out her response.

"_Fine."_

She didn't want Ymir to think that she wasn't mad at her, but she couldn't very well ignore her. Ymir would have probably run into town following her scent in a panic.

Krista slipped her phone back into her pocket and continued nibbling on an onion ring. She quietly listened to the voices around her, at the clink of glasses and the occasional belch. It was amusing, at least. When she glanced up she realized that Berik had disappeared, and spied him exiting the kitchen with an angry look on his face. He avoided Krista's gaze as he returned to tending the bar. Krista, however, sent him a questioning gaze with an eyebrow lifted.

Moments later Mike and Nac left the kitchen too, laughing. They shared a look before grinning at Berik, who huffed and focused on wiping beer from the table.

"You done?" Mike asked once he approached the blonde.

Krista swallowed the last of her food, quickly downed the rest of her coke and then nodded. "Yeah! Are we going?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah. Bill's already paid." He turned to Nac and grinned. "See you," he said.

Nac grinned back and nodded. He sent a friendly wink to Krista and smiled at their backs as they left.

Krista was glad to leave the dank air of the bar. It was relieving to be out in the fresh air, and Krista took a deep breath in appreciation.

Mike was just as quiet on the way back, and only spared a wish goodnight once they'd parked and climbed out of the car. Krista didn't stay to watch him and hurried towards the barn. She was still mad at Ymir, but she missed her and at least wanted to see her face.

Unfortunately she would have to wait until morning to properly see her face. The barn was impossibly dark, but Krista noticed a small oil lamp where they'd set their bed up. Ymir was there, fast asleep in the glowing light. She was on her side, back facing Krista. Her shoulders rose steadily as she breathed.

Krista honestly couldn't help herself and went over to her. She crouched down and then pressed her lips to Ymir's cheek. She was slightly alarmed when she felt how hot her skin was, and noticed that Ymir was sweating. Her face didn't look as peaceful as Krista had assumed, and her freckles looked more like tears.

Krista sighed and settled down on her end of the makeshift bed. She turned the lamp off, dousing the place in blackness. It took all her will not to curl up against Ymir, and Krista fell asleep feeling cold and upset.

XxX

Around three in the morning Krista was woken suddenly by a strange sound. At first she couldn't pin-point what it was. It sounded familiar and foreign at the same time and it put a sense of dread in Krista's gut.

She pushed herself up on her elbows and strained her eyes to see in the darkness. Unfortunately she could barely see anything, so she grabbed her phone and noticed the time. It was as if the black '3' had whispered Ymir's name, because suddenly Krista realized what the sound was and she shot to her feet.

"Ymir?"

"No." It sounded like Ymir, but strange. Sobbing followed and Krista's heart clenched painfully. Was Ymir crying? No, not crying. She was outright sobbing.

Krista quickly fumbled around to find the oil lamp and through some difficulty got it on. The bright light blinded her for a long second before her eyes adjusted, and then she finally caught sight of Ymir.

She looked… frightening.

"Y-Ymir?" Fear filled Krista's heart and she couldn't help but stumble backwards a step. She swallowed the thickness in her throat and felt sweat collect at her temple.

Ymir had her hands covering her face which was full of blood. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed uncontrollably. Behind her a large tail swept from side to side, in time with the agonizing sobs leaving her lips.

"Stay away," Ymir cried out. She uncovered her face and glanced up at Krista. Her eyes were black and red, wet with tears. Clear trails ran down her cheeks, the tears having cleared some blood away.

"Ymir, what's wrong?"

Ymir shook her head, teeth clenching. Just as suddenly she curled into herself again and started rocking back and forth, sobbing loudly.

Krista couldn't handle it. She couldn't handle standing there and watching the love of her life in so much pain. She decided to put her anger on hold for now, because Ymir obviously needed her more.

Krista put the lamp down on the floor and carefully approached Ymir. When she was close enough she reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. Ymir didn't react, so Krista dropped to her knees and pulled Ymir in for a tight, crushing hug. Her shoulder was immediately drenched with tears then and Ymir seemed to cry even harder.

Krista had never seen her cry before—ever. This was uncharted territory, and the blonde wasn't sure what was happening or what she was supposed to do.

"You need to leave," Ymir said. Her large, clawed hands pressed to Krista's shoulders and the blonde shivered. She swallowed and tightened her hold.

"I'm not leaving you."

Suddenly Ymir shoved Krista off of her and lashed out violently, eyes wide and furious. Her sharp claws cut through the fabric of Krista's hoody, but luckily hadn't gone far enough to cut her skin. Krista wasn't deterred, however, and furrowed her brows in anger.

"Ymir, get a hold of yourself!"

"LEAVE!" Ymir growled. She had her hand held by the other, trembling. Her angry expression suddenly fell again and she was crying. She stood and nearly collapsed against the wall. Krista was startled by how tall she was. "Krista, you…" Ymir pressed her palm to her forehead, eyes wide like she had just seen something traumatizing. "My dream… it… I saw something new…" She glanced at Krista and then covered her mouth, close to vomiting again. "I ate you," she said, tears and sweat pouring down her face. "You screamed for me to stop and I… I grabbed you, crushed you in my hand and then chewed you up."

Krista stood still, eyes wide. Tears collected by the corners of her eyes. Her heart thundered. She was struggling to process what she was hearing.

"I fucking ate you like you were a snack!" Ymir screamed. "You need to leave me right now. Ask Mike to drive you back to Malia and stay as far away from me as you can."

"Ymir, no…" Krista stepped forward, hands outstretched. "It was just a dream."

"I can still taste it!"

Krista clenched her teeth. Ymir was losing her shit for nothing. It was a dream. They had no way to know that it was actual foretelling. Ymir needed to calm down because she was changing too quickly, and if Mike heard Ymir's screaming and rushed out…

"Ymir, calm down." Krista approached further and tried to put a hand on Ymir's arm but the brunette shrugged away from her touch.

"I don't even understand why you care so much!"

"Stop talking."

"You aren't safe with me."

"Ymir."

"I can kill you so easily, I'm a monster."

Krista was suddenly filled with intense anger. Her chest swelled with heat and fury and she rushed forward. She grabbed Ymir's blood-soaked shirt and then pulled her down. With Ymir caught off guard, and with anger behind her actions, Krista cocked her fist back and then slammed it right into Ymir's eye.

The brunette gasped and fell to the ground. She wasn't prepared for a second punch that landed on her jaw, or the third that broke her nose.

Krista kicked Ymir over, panting harshly and tears pouring down her own face.

"Shut the fuck up Ymir! Did you see that? I kicked your ass and you didn't kill me! I'm not a little glass toy for you to shove around. I am just as strong and I will _not_ break if you touch me!"

Ymir was too shocked for words. The blows had distracted her enough that her body stopped changing and she steadily returned to normal. The horns and tail receded, and after a few minutes all that remained were her hauntingly dark eyes.

"Stop acting like a damn idiot and stop pushing me away!" Krista yelled as hard as she could. She glared down threateningly at Ymir, and the brunette realized that if she had to comment, Krista would punch her again.

Blood trickled over her lips and down her chin. It stung, and her eye was beginning to swell. How the hell had Krista been able to put that much strength behind her attacks? Ymir was baffled. Thankfully she had her mind in a safe place again, and she propped herself up onto her elbows, flinching. She lifted a finger to touch the wound by her eye, and it came away with blood. She sat up, cradling her sore jaw.

"I'm sorry," Ymir uttered softly.

Krista's shoulders still heaved with her rapid breaths. She dropped down in front of Ymir and grabbed the front of her shirt, yanking her forward.

"For what?!"

Ymir flinched, expecting another punch. None came, and she sighed. "I'm sorry for everything; for how I treated you, for losing my shit. You don't deserve it. I'm sorry." She couldn't help the fresh tears that began to pour. "I'm sorry Krista."

Krista let her shirt go and pulled Ymir into a hug. The brunette sobbed freely against her shoulder, where she had earlier, but with a clearer mind.

The emotional pain far outweighed the physical in that moment, and Ymir ignored the burning of her marks. She clutched desperately to Krista's shirt, feeling her warmth and hearing her heartbeat and smelling her unique scent.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

Krista pressed a kiss to Ymir's swollen eye. "You aren't healing," she said.

Ymir simply shook her head, no longer sobbing but still crying softly. It would take some time for her to get over the shock of her dream. It had felt so real and the anguish that had filled Ymir's being had taken her breath away.

No matter what, Ymir never wanted to be that monster. She didn't want to take Krista's life in such a gruesome way.

"I'm so sorry."

XxX

Hours later the two were sleeping soundly together, wrapped up underneath a single sleeping bag. Ymir was in her stomach while she rested her head against Krista's shoulder. The blonde had her arms wrapped around Ymir, while the brunette had one arm wound around Krista's waist. They slept quietly, each breathing evenly.

Eventually the bright morning sun invaded their peace and woke Ymir. She was tired when her eyelids fluttered open, and when she felt the rise and fall of the surface underneath her ear, Ymir closed her eyes again and sighed.

Memories of that early morning washed over her, as well as guilt and shame. She had almost seriously hurt Krista and she had yelled at her. It truly was a miracle that Krista was still here, willing to be that pillar of strength that Ymir so desperately needed.

Ymir gently lifted herself and glanced up at Krista's face. She had dried tear stains on her cheeks. When Ymir noticed she leaned down and softly kiss them away, and then she pressed her lips to Krista's forehead, hand cupping her cheek, and squeezed her eyes shut.

_I need you,_ she thought.

She had to apologise properly. Ymir knew this. However, she couldn't bring herself to wake Krista just yet, so she relaxed back down beside Krista and rested with her head propped up by her arm. She watched Krista's face and reached out to gently take hold of her small hand.

Their sizes were still so different.

Looking at Krista's pale hand, Ymir realized that Krista was right. She wouldn't break. She wasn't fragile, although she was small. Ymir had always held a fear that she would break Krista without a thought. Last night had proved otherwise. Krista had been the one to nearly break Ymir.

Remembering that made Ymir chuckle lightly and then wince and press a finger to her eye in surprise. It stung and felt grossly swollen. Did she actually have a black eye? Her nose and jaw hurt too, and Ymir realized that her wounds weren't healing. But why?

Before she could panic Ymir felt a gentle touch on her cheek and glanced down to see Krista awake and watching her.

"Your face looks awful," Krista said sheepishly. She wasn't sorry, though, and she wouldn't apologise.

Ymir laughed. "Like I was hit by a midget, right?"

Krista giggled and lightly tapped Ymir's cheek. "You took it like a fighter."

"I took it like a wimp. Damn, I never knew you could hit that hard."

Krista suddenly grew serious, and she scooted closer to press herself to Ymir's body. "Will you touch me more firmly now? Do you believe me that I won't break if you touch me?"

Ymir dropped down onto her back and sighed up at the high ceiling of the barn. "I'll try," she said. "No doubt if I fail you'll kick my ass again."

Krista wrapped herself around Ymir and kissed her bruised jaw. "Maybe I'll aim for lower areas. I messed your pretty face up."

Ymir chuckled and then surprised Krista by dipping down for a purposeful kiss. "You may have kicked my ass," Ymir said, "but you taught me a lesson. I'm just sad that I had to make you go that far."

Krista traced heart patterns against Ymir's clothed chest. "I'm not. It felt good to be more powerful than you for once."

"With no compassion for my injuries?"

"Oh boo, you big baby."

Ymir stuck her tongue out and shook as she laughed. "I genuinely meant what I said earlier. I'm sorry for the way I treated you."

Krista smiled. "I know. I've forgiven you and now we both need to work towards forgetting what happened and moving on."

Ymir swallowed. "I'll never forget that dream, though."

"Then I'll just have to make sure that it never really happens."

"Krista, you can't be—"

"Shh," Krista interrupted with a finger on her lips. "Let's not argue again. I think Mike will come out to give us a new chore, so why don't we clean up and wait for him?"

Ymir grumbled lightly and sighed, but obeyed and helped Krista onto her feet. She watched the blonde as they changed and cleaned themselves, and for the first time she felt that they were equal. She no longer looked at Krista like a little helpless damsel in distress.

She definitely wasn't, and Ymir had to learn how to show her more respect.


	3. Chapter 3

**Playlist for chapter III**: Through the Trees by Low Shoulder, The Animal by Disturbed and Monster by Skillet.

**WARNING**: Death/gore.

* * *

><p><strong>III<strong>

* * *

><p>"How's your eye?"<p>

Ymir glanced up and winced, reminded of the dull ache at her eye that still hadn't healed. It was Mike asking, and he approached her with a bottle of Sprite in hand.

"Better," Ymir replied curtly. She took the drink with a 'thanks' and opened the cap to down a large mouthful. It was hot as hell and she was insanely thirsty.

Mike chuckled. "Little one sure packs a punch."

Ymir nodded in agreement. She looked down at the bale of hay she had been carrying and removed her one glove to wipe the sweat from her lashes.

"Mechanic should be in town in three days. I have more than enough chores to keep you busy in that time," Mike said. He slipped his hands into his pockets and awkwardly kicked at the ground.

"Listen, is there something you want?" Ymir asked. She slipped her glove back on and put the bottle into the oversized pocket of the pants Mike had lent to her. She wanted to get back to work and finish clearing up all the leftover hay, so that she could relax with Krista until dinner.

"Actually," Mike sighed and then sniffed lightly. "Those markings on you… they…"

"They bother you," Ymir pointed out.

Mike lifted his head and regarded her seriously. He opened his mouth to protest but paused at the sound of tires crunching over gravel. Both he and Ymir turned towards the driveway to see a dark blue Cherokee Jeep park next to Mike's old beat-up truck. A brown-haired man stepped out and then waved when he spotted Ymir and Mike. He jogged over with a friendly smile on his face.

Ymir narrowed her eyes at the supposed kindness and eyed his clean appearance. The man looked smart and confident, like he'd just climbed out of a perfume advertisement.

"Mike!" the man chuckled upon approaching and accepted Mike's outstretched hand for an enthusiastic handshake. "Ah, and you must be the girlfriend."

Ymir's eyebrow lifted but she made no comment.

The man suddenly laughed when he saw Mike startle. "I don't mean Mike's!" he exclaimed in amusement. "Krista told me about you." He held his hand out to her too and his eyes widened slightly when he felt Ymir's firm grip.

"I'm sure she did," Ymir said tightly. She had a bad feeling about this.

"Nac?" Krista suddenly appeared, splattered with paint. Her long blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, exposing her long, pale neck. "How have you been?"

Nac's face brightened and he shrugged lightly. "I've been great. I see Mike has you two working like dogs."

Krista giggled and shook her head. "Not really. I've been painting his house for three days now."

"Oh?" Nac chuckled and clapped a hand over Mike's shoulder. "Anyway, it was nice to meet you," he said to Ymir, "and to see you again Krista. I have some business with this old coot, so excuse us." Nac didn't wait for Mike to respond and pulled him towards the house. Mike silently went along with him.

"I met Nac the other night at the bar I told you about," Krista explained. Like Ymir she was watching their backs until they disappeared into the house.

"I don't like him," Ymir said flatly. She narrowed her eyes in their direction.

Krista intently watched her face. "I think he's nice." She patted her pants down and sighed. "I need a shower. Maybe I'll take one when Nac leaves. Would you like a shower too?"

Ymir swooped down to grab the hay with one hand and then lifted it onto her shoulder. "Okay," she said. She walked over to the small shed Mike had asked her to move the hay to and dropped the last one down on the pile she had created. When she turned back to the blonde, finding that she had been followed, she looked away quickly and cleared her throat.

Krista smiled and pulled Ymir down to peck her cheek. "It's okay, it's just a shower." She took Ymir's gloved hand in her own and pulled her towards the barn they were staying in.

Ymir couldn't help but blush. Mike had a limited amount of hot water, and since electricity wasn't exactly cheap he would only allow them to shower if they did it together. Due to this reason Ymir had avoided showering in the man's house while Krista hadn't. Her body odour was starting to become overpowering, though. Because she often broke out into heavy fevers her skin perspired more than usual. Changing her shirt on a regular basis wasn't helping much either, and she could tell that the smell was starting to bug Krista, because as of last night she argued against their usual cuddle position.

Ymir really needed to shower. Could she ask Krista to skip though? The blonde was full of paint and sweat. She definitely needed a wash too. Ymir couldn't ask her not to shower.

"By the way, where did you go this morning?" Krista asked as they entered the barn.

Ymir furrowed her brows and stripped her hands of the gloves.

"What do you mean?"

Krista paused and sent Ymir a confused look. "You woke up around two this morning and walked out of the barn. I asked you where you were going but you just told me to go back to sleep."

Ymir shook her head. "I… I don't remember doing that."

Krista put a finger to her chin. "Have you walked during your sleep before?"

"Not that I know of."

"Huh, strange."

Ymir heard the door to Mike's house open and turned to watch him and Nac step down the porch steps. Her eyes narrowed. "Yeah, strange."

"Oh, let's take that shower now. I feel all icky."

Krista grabbed her toiletries and clean clothes and then waited by the barn doors for Ymir to join her. When the brunette did she walked happily towards Mike.

"There isn't enough time," Nac said hurriedly and paused when he noticed the girls approaching.

"Hey, can we take a quick shower?"

Mike ran a hand over his short beard and nodded. "Sure. Just be quick about it."

Ymir watched them as they headed into the house. She didn't like the exhausted look on Mike's face. What were they even talking about? When Ymir and Krista stepped through the hallway of the small house Nac and Mike returned to their conversation, and Ymir strained her ears to hear them. In that moment she was glad for her sensitive hearing.

"When will it be ready?" Nac asked.

"Soon. Just get out of here and I'll call you over when it's time."

Nac sighed. "I meant it. There is no time left. The Black Moon will be here in two days. If we miss it…"

"It'll be ready," Mike assured.

Ymir had to tune out then because they reached the bathroom. She kept glancing in the direction of them, though, expression baffled.

Black Moon? What were they talking about? Ymir supposed she was right when she had read up on Dena, and that more often than not weird demon shit happened here. Were the people here all cultists? Satanists?

Ymir rolled her eyes at the thought. If they were, then they were fucking idiots.

"Ymir?" Krista placed her hand on Ymir's cheek and turned her face to meet her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Ymir shook her head. "Nothing." She smiled reassuringly when Krista still looked troubled.

"Okay," Krista said, removing her hand. "I'll trust you." She let Ymir off for now and gripped the bottom of her shirt to pull it over her head. While her vision disappeared behind her t-shirt Ymir quickly spun around so that she couldn't see. Her heart was pounding.

Did she really have to do this?

Ymir pressed her palm to the wall and tried to breathe evenly, but her anxiety was taking over again. She didn't want Krista to see her body. No doubt it looked sickening with all of those marks. Krista would definitely think differently of her if she saw the extent of the branches on her skin.

"Ymir?" Krista placed a hand on Ymir's forearm. She noticed the brunette breathing too heavily. "Is this too much for you?"

Ymir only nodded her head lightly. She kept her eyes shut, afraid of seeing Krista's body. She didn't deserve to see her body, and probably never would.

"Okay," Krista said softly. She hugged Ymir's waist and pressed a cheek to her shoulder. "Would you like me to rather shower tomorrow? You need one more than me. I can wait."

Ymir shook her head. She didn't want to take something away from Krista, but a large part of her wanted to nod. "I just…" She sucked in a breath. "Not ready. I'm not ready to let you see."

Krista nodded and Ymir could feel it. "I understand. I'll shower tomorrow, or maybe beg Mike to let me quickly shower later. I can even wipe myself down with a cloth if I have to. You shower and get clean. I'll wait for you in the barn." Krista quickly pulled her shirt back on and then gathered the stuff she had brought with her.

"Krista…"

The blonde merely smiled and then left the room. The door clicked shut behind her, and Ymir stared at it for a long time. An unexplainable relief washed over Ymir, along with appreciation and warmth. Her chest swelled with feelings of gratitude and she hurried to undress and shower. With every second that she stood naked underneath the lukewarm water she felt more vulnerable than she should have. Fear of someone walking in overcame her, and she fumbled to quickly wash the grime from her skin, rinse the soap out of her hair and then stumble out of the shower. She barely dried her body before she pulled her clean clothes on.

With the collar of her hoody pulled up to cover her neck, Ymir snuck through the house towards the front door. Nac had left, since his car was gone and Ymir didn't see Mike anywhere. She wanted to ask him about the Black Moon, but decided against it. If they were up to something then letting them know that she knew wasn't a very bright idea.

Krista was in the car when Ymir padded into the barn. She had the radio on and was listening to a song that Ymir didn't recognize. The volume wasn't loud, at least, so she heard Ymir's approaching footsteps and stopped singing to greet her with a bright smile.

"You look ten shades lighter!" Krista joked.

Ymir rolled her eyes and self-consciously ran a hand through her hair. "Very funny," she drawled. "What song is that?"

"Through the Trees."

"By Low Shoulder?"

Krista nodded. "So you remember?"

Ymir picked Krista up and dropped into the seat the blonde had occupied. She allowed Krista to curl up on her lap. "Yeah, now that you mention its name. It was in that movie we snuck in to see when we were sixteen. Megan Fox is hot."

Krista rolled her eyes. "Okay, yes, she is."

Ymir grinned and pressed a kiss to Krista's forehead. "I think you are beautiful though."

Krista blushed brightly at the compliment. "And I find you hotter than Megan Fox."

Ymir grinned, unable to hide her delight. Suddenly her grin faded, and she looked into Krista's eyes with all seriousness. "Krista, there's something I need to tell you. It's about Mike."

Krista's brows furrowed. "Okay?"

"I heard him talking to that Nac guy. They mentioned something about a Black Moon and not having enough time. Mike was reassuring him that he'd have something ready in two days." She bit into her lip.

"Hmm," Krista pulled her phone out and opened her mobile browser. With the power of the internet she was sure to find a quick explanation of what Ymir was talking about. "I wonder what it is?" she thought out loud.

"Probably some occult shit," Ymir suggested. "I wish we could leave soon. Dena is a piece of shit."

"Ymir, we still haven't really tried to find out more about your situation."

"I don't think we can find it here," Ymir said. "I want us to leave for Kenda as soon as we can."

"Well, we have three days left until the mechanic can stop by. Think it'll be safe until then?"

Ymir shrugged. "I don't really know. Get anything yet?"

Krista chewed on her bottom lip as she waited for the webpage to load on her screen. "Not yet. The reception here is terrible. I don't think anyone here really has computers."

"Wouldn't surprise me."

"Oh!" Krista pulled the phone closer so that Ymir could see, and turned it onto its side so that the screen would flip, subsequently becoming larger.

"Black Moon Rising?" Ymir asked sceptically.

"Well, I'm on the Wikipedia and there are tons of different things called Black Moon. This seems to be a new video game. There's also a movie and is that a cake recipe?"

Ymir rolled her eyes and touched the screen to go back to the search engine. "Maybe we need more specific keywords." She typed in 'black moon occult' and hit search, and then they waited for the results. The very first result was what Ymir was looking for. She clicked on it and waited as the page loaded. When it had, Ymir carefully read through it.

It was an occult webpage providing spells and rituals and the like. Whether it was a legitimate page or done by someone drawn in by the supposed 'coolness', Ymir wasn't sure. Though she was unsettled by what she was reading.

"With the blood of the demon underneath the full Black Moon, call upon the underworld and have your wishes granted," Krista read. "In order to perform the ritual you will need a demon with marked skin. When the moon is at its apex, cut the demons heart out and offer it to the sky while reciting the ancient words. If your heart is true, you shall call upon Lucifer's powers and open the gate to the dead."

Ymir scoffed and looked away from the screen. "A bunch of bullshit."

"They could have just been talking about the cake," Krista suggested. She exited the page and dropped her phone onto her lap. "I mean, it can't be. Mike is a really nice guy. How is he supposed to know what you really are?"

Ymir shrugged her shoulders. "You could be right, I guess."

Krista didn't like the troubled look on Ymir's face, so she quickly leaned upwards to kiss her firmly on the cheek. "Stop worrying. Everything will be fine."

Ymir knew that Krista didn't believe it either, but she was right to some degree. If this was all just in her head then freaking out over it wouldn't do any good.

"I'd like to see if there are any bookstores or a library here," Ymir said. "I want to ask around town about the things people see. Maybe someone knows more about Black Moon or something."

"Then we'll do that tomorrow, if you want."

Mike appeared then and waved them over to his car. Ymir put the radio and car off and then she set Krista down on her feet. They held hands as they headed over to Mike's car.

The ride into town was much like it had been on the first day for Krista, however, this was Ymir's first time leaving Mike's farm. They hadn't gone out after the first day, since Mike had simply ordered pizza. Krista felt a lot more confident now that she had Ymir by her side, though the brunette seemed irritated. She always seemed to be irritated, it seemed. Krista had to understand, though. More than likely Ymir was still beating herself up because of that awful dream she had had. How would Krista react to dreaming of killing Ymir? Just the thought made her heart ache. Krista couldn't completely empathize, but she was at least there for when Ymir needed hugs and kisses. At least Ymir had stopped treating her like fragile property. Krista could see the change in Ymir's behaviour, and she was more comfortable with physical contact now.

When they reached the collection of buildings Mike had stopped by before, Krista knew that they were going to the bar again.

"You two can eat out by Ted if you want," Mike spoke up after shutting the engine off. He didn't get out of the truck just yet.

"Ted?" Krista asked. Mike pointed at the restaurant in front of them, the one beside the bar. "Okay, you sure?"

Mike nodded. "Get something proper to eat. Come by when you're done." He got out then and headed into the bar.

Ymir sighed. "This place is a dump."

"It's a small town, Ymir," Krista said in defence of Dena, though she knew that she had to agree. Mike had told her that this was the only bar and restaurant in the entire town. How was that even possible?

"A small dump then," Ymir said. She reluctantly climbed out of the car and made sure to grab Krista's hand when the blonde joined her side. Holding her hand calmed some of Ymir's nerves and it helped her relax. She didn't like this place and wished that they had just ordered pizza again.

"I hope their food is okay," Krista commented. Ymir just sighed beside her and the couple entered the restaurant.

The place was surprisingly busy, mostly with families and local workers. A waiter shuffled over to them and lazily nodded his head in greeting, barely even looking at them.

"How many?" he asked.

"Table for two," Ymir answered.

The man finally looked up and seemed to freeze at the sight of Ymir. He swallowed lightly and then guided them to a table in the back.

"Here," he handed the menu over to them and then scurried off without taking their order for drinks. Ymir spied him whispering furiously to a woman by the kitchen, and when she looked over at their table Ymir sighed. Similarly, other people were glancing their way and whispering. It was mostly directed at Ymir, though, and there was no question as to why.

"Don't worry about them," Krista said. She covered Ymir's hand with her own atop the table and gave it a firm squeeze. "You are totally still hot. Okay? Just ignore them."

Ymir rubbed her neck and shrugged. "I can't very well murder them all, so I don't really have a choice." She grimaced at her own morbid joke despite having made it and quickly picked the menu up to inspect what meals they offered.

"They don't have a lot of choices," Krista observed. She still had one hand over Ymir's, and used the other to hold the menu. "I think I'll just have a chicken burger with chips. And you?"

Ymir dropped the menu with a lazy sigh and shrugged. "I'll have whatever."

Krista sighed in exasperation and caught the occupants of the table beside them staring their way. It unnerved her greatly but she lightly cleared her throat and decided to choose something for Ymir. She knew the brunette would be very hungry by the time Krista's food arrived, and she would be too stubborn to admit that she wanted to order something after acting that she didn't care.

Eventually the waiter returned. "Sorry for running off. What would you like to get?" He smiled and looked over at Ymir, but felt uncomfortable by her hard gaze and looked back to Krista.

"I'll have a chicken burger and chips with a regular coke, and Ymir will have two large beef burgers, extra chips and a large coke."

The waiter lifted his eyebrow and then scribbled the order on his pad of paper. "Coming right up," he quipped and quickly carted their menus away.

"He's probably telling that bitch how much food we ordered and what colour my shit might be," Ymir said angrily. She pulled her hand out from under Krista's and folded her arms across her chest.

Krista couldn't help but giggle. "This place isn't used to people like you."

"'Like me'?"

"You know, tall, dark and handsome."

Ymir snorted but grinned lightly. She stretched her legs out underneath the table and pressed them against Krista's. Ymir winked when Krista glanced at her in surprise, blushing.

"Um, hi."

Ymir and Krista both glanced up in surprise and noticed a man and a woman had left their table to approach them. Before Ymir could jump to any conclusions she felt Krista's legs wrap around hers, as if keeping her rooted to her seat, so she said nothing and merely stared.

"Hi! Can we help you?" Krista smiled brightly up at them, reassured by the nervous smiles they gave each other.

"I'm Hannah Diamant," the woman said. She had a small splattering of freckles and light brown hair pulled into a low ponytail. Her eyes, though a regular brown, shone with friendliness.

"I'm Mylius Zeramuski," the man at Hannah's side introduced himself. He smiled sheepishly and rubbed a hand through his short ashen hair. "Sorry to bug you."

"We noticed everyone else staring, so we decided to introduce ourselves." Hannah finally held her hand out and smiled when Krista shook it. Mylius offered his hand, and Ymir refused to shake both of their hands. She merely stared at them until they got the message and dropped their arms.

"We appreciate your kindness. I'm Krista and this is Ymir."

"That's a cool name!" Hannah exclaimed, referring to 'Ymir'. She started to sweat nervously, probably sensing the glares and staring from the other people scattered around the restaurant. "Did you both move here?"

"Oh, no our car broke down and Mike let us stay by his farm."

"Oh! I see. And how are you finding our quint little town?"

"Fine," Ymir answered this time. She wouldn't stop glaring and wishing the two would piss off.

"S-so how long are you staying for?" Hannah asked nervously. She and Mylius were both intimidated by Ymir, but they persisted in extending a kind hand to new visitors. It wouldn't do good to have strangers leave the place thinking bad of its dwellers.

"Until a mechanic can fix our car. Apparently he's out of town but Mike assured us that he'll be back before the end of the week."

Hannah glanced at Mylius then, confused. Her brows pulled together, but she nodded slowly and then pressed her palms together. She noticed the waiter approaching and decided that they had conversed enough.

"Alright! Sorry to have bothered. It was nice to meet you. Enjoy your food."

"Let us know if there's anything we can help with," Mylius said.

"Actually, before you go," Ymir straightened in her seat. Both Hannah and Mylius paused. "Have you ever heard of the Black Moon?"

Hannah gasped lightly and covered her mouth with a hand. Mylius put a hand on her shoulder and turned to Ymir with hard eyes. "We don't, sorry," he said, and then he forcefully pulled Hannah away with him. She had almost been about to say something.

Ymir clicked her tongue and then glared at the waiter as he scurried off after placing their food down. "This place gives me the creeps."

XxX

The bar was as dank and humid as Krista remembered, though on this night it was a lot busier. There was barely any space to walk and Krista kept a nervous hand tightly gripped on Ymir's shirt. She didn't want to be lost in the mass of sweaty male bodies, and Ymir certainly didn't want to lose her midget and have to shove people out of the way to find her.

Mike was at the bar where he'd sat before, sipping on a bottle of beer. It looked to be his third, so he hadn't drunk that much at least.

The two battled their way towards the bar and Ymir had to reach out to tap Mike's shoulder because Krista couldn't reach.

Mike glanced over his shoulder and nodded at them. "Hey," he said.

"Yeah hi. Can we leave?" Ymir said.

Krista smiled and pressed into Ymir's side. She wouldn't have been able to say that so seriously, or say it at all. She was too kind sometimes.

Mike sniffed at his beer and then sighed. He lifted his hand to signal for the bartender and quickly downed the last of his drink. "Sure, just let me pay."

Berik jogged over and grabbed the bottle when Mike finished. He didn't notice Krista and Ymir until he accepted the notes from Mike and gave him his change. He paused when he did, and then he frowned and narrowed his eyes. Berik said nothing, but he caught the glare Ymir was giving him and glared back in response.

Krista felt nervous at their staring and felt relieved when Mike waved him away and hopped off of his stool. He tapped Ymir's shoulder as he passed her and the brunette reluctantly left the burning glare to follow Mike out the door. She pushed Krista in front of her and kept her hands on the blonde's shoulders.

The moment they left the bar Ymir felt eyes on her, but Krista was too relieved about the fresh air to notice. Ymir turned around as they climbed in the car.

She caught Berik staring from the dirty window, and his gaze left a sour taste in Ymir's mouth.

XxX

_Ymir allowed her fringe to cover her face, to hide it, as she sat alone at the school cafeteria. She had a tray of food in front of her but felt no desire to eat. She could feel the gazes trained on her and hear the whispers. She fucking hated them all so much._

_Ymir glanced up and met the glance of a blonde girl staring at her. "What the fuck are you staring at?" Ymir bellowed, standing up. She threw her tray off of the table, fists clenched and shaking._

"_Nothing!" the girl squeaked and quickly looked away. Her group of friends rubbed her back in comfort and sent glares over to Ymir. She was a new student and already she was causing so much trouble._

"_Fucking pussies!" Ymir yelled at them, face red with anger. She could feel her heart trembling in excitement and quickly left the room. She made her way over to the far side of the school where she had decided to sit when she became too angry. Ymir hated that she couldn't control her temper, and already she was feeling the desire to go back there and punch that blonde in the fucking face. _

_The brunette reached her enclosed spot and threw a hard punch at the tree she usually sat underneath. Her first broke through the entire thick tree and spurted out of the other side, the skin on her knuckles broken and blood seeping down her fingers. She cursed loudly and pressed her other hand to the tree to pull her arm out, but struggled due to how deeply embedded it was. Eventually her arm popped out and Ymir yelled as she fell over backwards and landed painfully on her back. Air rushed from her lungs, as well as a muffled curse._

_To Ymir's surprise, when she opened her eyes she caught two beautiful blue eyes staring down at her with concern._

"_Are you okay?"_

_It was a blonde, but not the blonde from earlier. Ymir was dumbfounded for a very long second. She blushed lightly at being able to see underneath the girl's skirt, but did not comment on it and stared straight ahead at the girl's face._

_For the first time in her entire life, Ymir's anger began to fade away. The wounds on her hand quickly healed in a torrent of steam, and the red flush on Ymir's freckles intensified._

"_I'm Krista!" the girl said after a long silence. "I heard that your name is Ymir and I'd like to be your friend."_

_For the first time in her life, Ymir laughed until tears poured from her eyes._

Ymir's eyes fluttered open. A small, surprised smile spread out on her face. It was an unfamiliar sight, but welcomed nonetheless. The brunette felt a solid weight on her arm and tipped her head to the left to see Krista using her arm as a pillow. Even though there was a lot of extra space, they always ended up at the very edge of the sleeping bags, with Krista sleeping on some part of Ymir.

Right now her arm had absolutely no feeling in it, so Ymir pulled it free and winced as it flopped lifelessly onto her chest. She took deep breaths and tried to ignore the awful pins-and-needles that shot through her limb as it regained blood, but the sensation was powerful. Luckily it was over in a minute and Ymir released a large breath in relief.

"Ymir?"

Said person turned her head once more and her eyes softened in amusement. "Jesus," Ymir said. "You look like hell in the morning."

Krista's eyebrows scrunched together and she pushed herself up onto her elbows. Her eyes, half open, twitched as she tried to focus her vision on Ymir. She wiped the drool from her chin before running a hand through her messy, knotted golden hair. With a large, unhappy groan, Krista simply fell forward onto Ymir and started snoring loudly.

Ymir resisted the intense urge to laugh. The sight was as horrid as it was amusing, but a special place in Ymir's heart sealed the memory away so that it would remain with her forever.

"Krista, get up." Ymir shook her slim shoulder, rolling her eyes when Krista growled.

"Five more minutes mom."

"I'm not your mom, ew."

"Ymir just," Krista's arm flew upwards suddenly and it took a second for her to locate Ymir's face. When she found it, it took more seconds to feel out where her mouth was. Mouth successfully identified, Krista pressed a curled finger to it and made a strangled noise. "Just shh that hot mouth for a sec, 'kay?" Her words came out muffled because she had her face pressed against Ymir's shoulder, but the brunette heard her clearly.

No one would ever believe that Krista was so unattractive in the morning. Ymir wouldn't trade it for anything.

"Get up, ass." She tipped Krista over and then straddled her waist. The blonde didn't react, eyes still closed. When Ymir's long fingers attacked her sides Krista was forced to snap her eyes open and jerk her body as she laughed.

"Ymir!" Krista laughed, snorting halfway through, and tried desperately to throw Ymir off of her or stop her hands, but neither attempt worked. She was too small and too half-asleep, so she eventually gave up and just giggled as the brunette tickled her sides.

"Awake yet?"

Blue eyes cracked open, and Ymir's heart skipped a beat.

"I'm awake," Krista said hurriedly in case Ymir started to tickle her again. She yawned loudly, forgetting to cover her mouth with her hand, and Ymir cringed.

"Jesus, brush your teeth Miss Morning Breath."

Krista narrowed her eyes in a glare and poked Ymir's stomach. "Is Miss Freckles going to get off of me or will things get frisky?"

Ymir rolled her eyes and stood. She held her hand out and pulled the much shorter girl to her feet.

"Thank you," Krista said. She went over to the sink inside of the barn and made quick work of brushing her hair and teeth. Ymir did the same afterwards, but she kept her eyes on Krista as the blonde readied herself for the day.

When Krista pulled her pyjama shirt off, Ymir couldn't help but appreciate the slender curve of her back or the paleness of her skin. Ymir quickly looked away as Krista bent to the side to retrieve a fresh shirt.

"Okay!" Krista tied her hair up and grabbed her phone to check for any messages. She frowned at the plethora of missed calls, all from her parents. "What's the agenda for today?"

Ymir ran her hands underneath the tap and then ran them through her hair to wet the locks and brush them into some order. She had her brush clenched between her teeth as she used her hands to flick her wet locks into her usual style.

"Uh," Ymir turned and leaned against the sink. She didn't realize that droplets of water fell from her fingers and dropped on her neck. She wore a grey tank top, so Krista watched the liquid as it slid along the brunette's tanned, freckled skin. Krista bit her lip, fully taking in Ymir's tall, lean and muscular form. Damn. How had she been lucky enough to meet someone so breathtakingly attractive? If it wasn't for the attitude then Ymir would have been a heartbreaker.

Ymir noticed Krista's burning stare and faltered slightly in her thoughts. A light blush coloured her cheeks and ears and she glanced down at the floor in nervousness. Krista sighed.

"Um, I'm going to town before we finish painting the old guy's house. I'd like to be clean when I sniff around. So…"

"Okay, cool!" Krista shook her head to rid it of unneeded thoughts and then skipped over to Ymir. Before saying anything else she stepped on the tips of her toes to kiss Ymir's freckled nose, ran a hand through her short hair and then lightly poked her stomach. "I'll come with you. Let's have breakfast at that place we went to last night."

Ymir snorted. "No thanks."

Krista dropped down to her usual height and pouted. "Meany."

Ymir, blinking rapidly, suddenly leaned downwards and pressed a kiss to Krista's pink lips. She tasted strawberry lipice and cleared her throat when she pulled away. Krista looked absolutely euphoric.

"We, um…" She scuffed her foot and blushed intensely as she glanced off to the side. "We haven't kissed for a whole, so… I just… You know…"

Krista smiled in delight and reached out to take Ymir's hand in her own. "We don't always have to kiss, so it's okay if we don't for a while."

Ymir nodded and then shrugged. "Sometimes I can't help it." She allowed Krista to play with her long fingers and then enclosed them around Krista's and suddenly pulled her forward. Krista gasped softly and felt her cheek land against Ymir's chest. The melody there was Ymir's pounding heartbeat.

Long arms encircled Krista and she closed her eyes in content. This was her home—where she belonged. No one made her feel this important, and being without Ymir would render her meaningless. Krista nuzzled against Ymir's thin shirt, inhaling the strong scent of her skin and sweat, mingled in with something sweet that she could never seem to pinpoint but was always lingering on Ymir.

"I love you," Krista uttered very softly, both fists curled against Ymir's stomach. She enjoyed the sudden fluttering against her cheek.

Ymir pressed a kiss to her forehead and then she pulled out of the hug with a reluctant sigh. "Good morning," she spoke over Krista's head.

The blonde turned and saw Mike standing awkwardly by the barn doors.

"Morning," he greeted. "There's isn't much for you to do. I have some dishes collecting in the sink that need washing and a few rubbish bags that should be taken to the edge of my plot so that the garbage collectors can fetch it." He placed a hand on his hip and sighed. "House is almost done, so you should be able to finish that today."

"We're going out to town before we start working," Ymir informed him. She wasn't asking.

Mike looked down at Krista at Ymir's side. "I'm leaving, actually."

Krista took a step forward. She swallowed when she felt Ymir's hand press protectively to her lower back. "How come, if I may ask?"

"It's, uh," Mike's face fell and he nervously rubbed at his chin. "Personal business, really. I'm driving to the Dena cemetery, about an hour from here. I should be back by tonight."

Krista's eyes lowered in sympathy. "Oh, well I hope you have a safe trip."

Mike smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "Nac is taking me, so feel free to use my truck. Just don't total it."

Krista glanced over at Ymir, eyes a little sad. "We'll take good care of it, I promise."

Mike seemed satisfied so he nodded once and walked down the long driveway to the street. Nac was already waiting for him.

"I never noticed it before, but Mike seems like a really sad guy," Krista observed. She was once more in Ymir's embrace, warmed and comforted by her warm arms.

"He lost someone," Ymir stated. "I can see it in his eyes."

Krista sighed softly. Would she be as strong as him if she lost Ymir? She couldn't imagine living alone, all by herself and with no one to interact with. Suddenly Krista felt a huge amount of sympathy for the man, and slight shame at suspecting him with Ymir's earlier paranoia. There was no way he was a bad guy. He seemed so lost.

"The truck is ours, so can we go?" Ymir gently rubbed Krista's back until the blonde ceased to shiver.

Krista stepped away from Ymir's warmth and smiled up at her face. "Okay, let's do this."

XxX

During the day the town centre was a lot quieter. Only a few people milled about, mostly the usual customers buying a snack or ingredients for the nights' meal. Those that were out stared at Ymir as she walked alongside her short partner, and not to Ymir's surprise. The blonde skipped happily by her side, but Ymir slouched, hands in her pockets, and had a scowl on her face.

"I'm tired of people staring," Ymir complained.

"Well get used to it Ymir. Even without those marks, you draw attention." Ymir took it the wrong way and snorted. "I mean like, you get those seriously beautiful people that no matter what's going on, the moment they step into the room all eyes gravitate towards them. You have this magnetism about you, Ymir. I was drawn to it instantly. It isn't a bad thing though."

"It's because I have a demon living inside of me," Ymir stated bitterly. She rethought her words and then spoke again. "I _am_ a demon."

Krista lightly bumped Ymir's side. "Yeah well we are what we are. I'm human, hopefully, and you just happened to born as an ancient demon."

Ymir shook her head, still unable to fathom how Krista was able to accept what she was so easily. From the very beginning Krista had never called bullshit, had never batted an eye and had never run in fear. Even when Ymir saw fear cloud her eyes, Krista never left.

Ymir was partly ashamed and partly relieved.

"Alright, let's see if anyone knows what we want to know," Ymir said when they reached the local bookstore. It was entirely too small but was suitable for the population of the town.

A bell jingled when they stepped through the door and Ymir glanced up at it with a glare—she fucking hated bells.

Krista immediately looked around the room, taking in the walls that were lined with shelves covered in books, and smiled politely at the only person tending to the store. It was a blonde boy around their age, and though he seemed nervous by their appearance he offered a kind smile and stood from his seat to greet them.

"Good morning! I'm Thomas Wagner. Are you two new here?"

Ymir slouched further and slunk over to him. She smartly bent down slightly so as not to startled the timid guy. He was already sweating, though Krista's presence eased his apparent anxiety.

"Sure," Ymir responded. "I have something that I'm looking into for this book I'm writing," Ymir lied flawlessly. She reached the counter and then dropped her arms onto it, folded. Krista stepped beside her and they were at eyelevel.

"Oh?" Thomas brightened. "If I know about it I'll certainly help!"

"Great!" Ymir said, faking a smile. "See, I came here with my partner because of my book. Heard some weird stuff happens here. Did I hear right?"

Thomas nervously scratched his cheek. "The town folk are really superstitious, but they're all just worried about ghosts and other fairy-tales. What's your book about?" He seemed genuinely interested, and Ymir felt relieved to finally find _someone_ that didn't set the hairs at the back of her neck on end.

"A girl that turns into a demon. She tries to find a spell to undo her curse, but it isn't a curse and she can't escape it."

Thomas frowned, slightly disturbed by the idea. He immediately schooled his expression though, not wanting to be rude. "Sounds interesting! So what do you need my help for, really?"

"I heard some people muttering about a Black Moon. Apparently there will be one tomorrow night. It thought it sounded interesting for a new arc to my book. Know of it?"

Genuine thought crossed the blonde boy's face, not shock and surprise like Ymir had expected. She grinned against her palm in relief.

"Well, my dad told me this weird story about a ritual to resurrect the dead," he explained. "Actually, we have a book on it here. One of the locals wrote it and only made one copy. It isn't published or anything, but my dad wouldn't let me throw it away. I can't understand a word in it though." Thomas looked around the store quickly, trying to remember where he'd seen it before. "Let me just head to the back room and see if it's in some of the old shelves."

Ymir nodded and watched the blonde boy leave.

"Ymir, what we read on that occult webpage," Krista tugged at Ymir's shirt. "It said that to open the gate to the dead, you have to offer up the heart of a demon. That's basically a resurrection ritual, right?"

Ymir shrugged. "Could be a cake recipe," she drawled lazily. She dodged when Krista tried to pinch her side.

"Ymir, I'm being serious!"

Ymir rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Okay, I hear you. We'll have to wait to see that book first."

Thomas returned then, eyes shining with excitement. "I found it!" he exclaimed. "We have to be quick though. If my father finds out that I showed this to anyone I won't get paid this month." He gingerly placed the leather-bound book on the table and then fiddled with the lock in the front. It was practically melted into the leather, making Ymir straighten and frown down at it.

"How old is it?" she asked.

Thomas stuck his tongue out as he struggle to undo the latch. It was so old and rusty that it barely moved. "Uh, couple hundred years I think? It's been handed down in my family for generations."

Ymir swallowed lightly. She tried to remain patient with Thomas but eventually lost her calm and knocked his hands away. She roughly grabbed the book and undid the clasp with one fluid motion.

"Whoa, how'd you do that?"

"Do you even lift?" Ymir asked him, eyeing him once before glancing back down at the book. The cover, though old and coated in dust and other old stuff, was thick and sturdy. The front lock, Ymir realized, was made entirely of metal. It was heavy and thunked against the table when she opened the book and let the front cover drop.

On the first page, in elongated, black ink, unrecognizable letters stretched over the page. Ymir's throat tightened when she read it without trouble.

"Is that even a known language?" Krista enquired. She leaned in close, squinting. Thomas did the same and the two shared a shrug.

"I dunno. I have no idea what language this is."

Ymir didn't look at them. She studied the title and then nervously paged through the book. Her fingertips burnt lightly, but it was mostly just her imagination.

"All I understand in this book are the crazy drawings. The author drew them himself."

Ymir paused somewhere in the middle, hand shaking so badly that she had to release the page from her fingertips or else the other two would have noticed. Two pages were overtaken by a large, detailed picture. It was an image Ymir was familiar with. It looked like her face.

She knew this, because she recognized the horns, the dark, haunted eyes. She could tell by the shading that the creature had darkened skin. It had a tail and wings and elongated fangs. It looked angry, and understandably, since it was chained down like an animal. Ymir's gut churned painfully and she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth.

Beside the demon a woman held a pitch fork which she was driving into its stomach. Blood gushed out, covering the area beneath the demon and darkening the page with black ink. Ymir turned to the next page and regretted it. A morbid, more detailed image depicted the woman, hands bloody, holding a large heart in both hands. She held it above her head and behind her the demon slouched forward with a gaping hole in its chest.

This was no longer a joke. Ymir knew that they had to get out.

"Thomas, do you have the number of your town's mechanic?"

Thomas seemed startled by Ymir's panicked tone and became even more concerned when Krista placed a hand on Ymir's shoulder, expression worried.

"U-um, which one?"

Ymir stopped breathing. "There's more than one?"

Thomas seemed almost as panicked as Ymir now.

"Y-yeah! U-um, we have a lot of people that work out of town so we have a large garage at the northern end of Dena. We actually have a lot of talented mechanics."

Krista gasped softly and shared a look with Ymir. She was still completely confused, though mostly concerned. She recognized the image and understood that Ymir was freaking out because of it. She also realized now that Mike had lied to them.

"Are any mechanics out of town right now?" Ymir asked.

"Actually, yeah! He isn't one of the best, though. He actually cleans the cars more than fixes them."

Ymir cursed softly. Mike had been waiting for someone. But why? What the hell was this town after?

"Thomas, could you send someone to us to fix our car?" Krista asked gently. She rubbed Ymir's back to prevent Ymir's anxiety. If Ymir became too upset her body would react violently, and Krista didn't want to frighten Thomas. He might have just saved their lives.

"Oh, um my brother works there. I can come over right now with him if you want."

"Do you know where Mike lives?"

Thomas nodded and used a tissue to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "Y-yeah. I've been there before. How urgent do you need a fix?"

Ymir threw the book shut and then straightened. "As soon as fucking possible," she said evenly. She picked the book up and cradled it in her hands. "May I borrow this?" she asked. "For my novel."

Thomas swallowed. "U-um, for how long?"

"Just until we leave," Ymir answered. She made sure to shove as much sincerity into her expression as possible.

"Okay, as long as you swear to have it back no later than the end of the week!"

Ymir drew a cross over her heart. "Deal."

XxX

Ymir and Krista had left for Mike's farm immediately after, and almost ten minutes after returning Thomas and his brother, Joshua, arrived on the older brother's bike. He had a utility belt around his waist and besides having slightly longer hair, looked like a mildly older version of Thomas. He was a lot more confident, though.

"Thomas!" Krista jogged towards the two, relief on her face. "You really meant that you'd be here quickly."

Thomas couldn't help but blush and clasped his hands together in embarrassment. "You said it's important, so…"

Joshua chuckled and ruffled his brother's hair. "So? Where's the car?"

Krista pointed at the barn. "Um, we don't have much money unfortunately, and we're in a hurry to leave."

Joshua glanced at his brother, wondering what he'd gotten into now. He hadn't expected the younger boy to stumble into his workplace, wheezing and begging for him to drive out to Mike's.

"Well," Joshua put his helmet onto his bike and then straightened the belt around his hips. "How about a date to pay it off?" He grinned lightly, blue eyes hopeful.

Krista resisted the urge to sigh. "I'm sorry, I'm not interested. Is there any other way I could compensate?"

The blonde girl honestly expected Joshua to ignore her rejection and beg for a date, or make up some reason for her having to do it. Instead all interest left his eye and he straightened professionally.

"No, I understand. That's fine." He tapped Thomas on the shoulder and then pointed at the barn. "You can pay of their debt by helping me fix the car and then doing my laundry for the next month."

Thomas groaned but nodded and struggled out of his brother's arms when he hugged him.

"Thank you," Krista said. "The car is in the barn. Hopefully it isn't too difficult to fix."

Joshua smiled kindly and followed Krista to the barn. He nodded at Ymir when he noticed her and smiled when he saw her slink over to Krista and wrap an arm around her. He merely shrugged it off and then went to inspect the inside of the car.

"Let's see what's under here," Joshua said as he opened the bonnet and lifted the bonnet-catch. He inspected the insides for a full ten minutes before he ordered his brother closer and gave him a command. Together they started tinkering about, testing things out and trying to figure out what the problem was. Thomas was eventually ordered to get in behind the wheel and start the car, and eventually Joshua made a noise that was akin to triumph and he ordered Thomas around a few more times.

Ymir didn't watch them. She had left the barn and was sitting by the porch steps of Mike's house. The image of the demon in that book wouldn't leave her. That was definitely what she would look like when she lost all semblance of sanity. Would it ever get that bad though? Would she ever fully turn and lose who she was?

"I'm sure he'll fix it," Krista said. She sat down beside Ymir and leaned into her. "He seemed to really know what he was doing."

Ymir shrugged. "I hope so," she said. "I don't care if I'm just going nuts—I want to leave this place."

A part of Krista still struggled to look at Mike in a suspicious light, but the un-biased part pointed out how he had obviously lied from the beginning. His behaviour now seemed suspicious when Krista thought back on it, and when she remembered each encounter so far, she couldn't deny how each person had unnerved her. There was something weird going on in this town, and she definitely did not want to be around with Ymir when whatever 'Black Moon' was, happened.

They spent a while sitting on the porch before remembering their promise to finish painting the house among other chores. Ymir hadn't wanted to but Krista had insisted, so Ymir hurried to do the dishes inside and carry four trash bags down the driveway. By then Krista was almost done with the second coat of paint, so Ymir helped finish the last corner of the house, and then when the sun started to dip low in the sky, Ymir dropped the paintbrush and wiped a hand over her face.

"Fucking hell," she muttered under her breath. Why did they have to finish these chores when they were leaving really soon? At least Ymir hoped that they were.

"Hey!" Joshua waved at them from the barn and jogged towards them. Krista just finished rinsing her hands underneath the tap and straightened when he approached. "It's all fixed," he said. "It took most of the time to find the problem, since I have this tendency to look for complicated issues. It was actually just a problem with your radiator. It overheated, somehow."

Ymir looked down guiltily when Krista gave her a cocked eyebrow.

"Is it totally fine to ride?"

Joshua shook his head and beamed. "Sure is! I had Thomas clean your car while I worked when he had nothing to do. Consider your debt paid already."

Krista leaped forward to give the kind stranger a hug and then she quickly retreated to press a hand to Ymir's stomach. "Thank you, I really appreciate it."

Joshua waved his hand. "No problem. If your car ever breaks down again don't be afraid to call." He handed a card over to them and then turned when he heard his name. "Anyway, it's getting late and since my job here is done I'm going to head home with my brother. You two stay safe and don't be afraid to drop by my work to say hello." He left then, waving.

Ymir and Krista watched him leave, relief hanging heavily between them.

"Let's pack and then head out before it gets too dark," Krista said. She took Ymir's hand and walked with the brunette back to the barn. It took no time for them to pack their things into the car. Krista made sure to neatly fold the sleeping bags, and then as they were about to leave she stopped Ymir and pulled a piece of paper and a pencil from the trunk.

"Seriously? Ymir asked.

Krista waved off her irritation. "Even if he's creepy, Mike gave us a lot of kindness. He at least deserves a goodbye and thank you note."

Ymir rolled her eyes and then stepped out of the barn to look up at the moon. She knew Krista would take a while to write an entire essay.

Unfortunately, she didn't hear the stealthy footsteps behind her, and she was too late to notice the metal bat that connected with her skull and sent her into absolute darkness.

XxX

"Ymir? What's wrong?" Krista hesitantly approached Ymir, hands outstretched in a friendly gesture. "Please calm down, your body is starting to change."

The sickening sound of bones cracking filled the silence and Ymir's heavy breathing almost overpowered the sound. Her heart had started again, but it was burning and Ymir's mind was already lost. She panted through widening lips, sharp fangs visible whenever her mouth opened wide enough. Her skin started to darken as it stretched, and Ymir's horns only grew larger, tearing at her skin and causing more blood to spill over her face.

"Ymir, please." Krista, shaking and close to tears, stepped up to Ymir and put both hands on her face while she still could. "Come back to me, please."

Ymir stared right through her. She didn't see or hear anything other than her own body breaking apart and being put back together. The pain was so intense that it was all her mind could register.

"Mommy, what is that?" a little boy called out from the crowd. The onlookers had all grown deathly still, strangely transfixed by the impossible sight before them.

The sound of the boy seemed to shatter Ymir's stillness, for her head snapped up and she looked in the direction the sound had come from. Her eyes were frightening and the little boy began to cry. Ymir panted, and then she lifted her fist and the child burst into ashes against his mother's chest. The woman stared down at herself for a split second, confused and surprised, but then she started screaming and fell to her knees. The other people reacted after that, all screaming and turning to run.

Ymir withdrew her hand and stared down at it, emotion finally entering her face. She looked shocked and repulsed, and Krista almost thought that she would regain control of herself, but then it all went to hell.

"A monster!" a man in the retreating crowd screamed. "It's a monster sent straight from hell!"

The words rang painfully in Ymir's ears and she lifted her hands to cover them, head tilting back to release an anguished and angry roar. Her body grew much taller then, her muscles bulking, skin turning red. Krista had no choice but to leave, because she knew that it was dangerous there and if she didn't leave Ymir would hurt her without realizing it.

Ymir stopped roaring and then rushed at the crowd, eyes reddened dark with hatred and anger. She grabbed the nearest person and then ripped their head right off of their shoulders. People screamed. Ymir was showered in blood. She didn't even blink.

Even as she continued to grow, becoming so large that she could not get into the mall, she either tore people apart with her hands or used her abilities to turn them to ash or red mist.

Ymir eventually bounded into a street, smashing at cars and tossing them into the air, ignoring the terrified screaming of those still inside. Ymir started to smash buildings. Fires started and in the distance Krista could only fall to her knees, dirty tears dripping from her chin. She had never imagined that Ymir was capable of such death and destruction, and she was scared. More than that, her heart was breaking. She knew that Ymir did not want to do this.

Someone had obviously done something to her, and Krista suddenly felt responsible. She had convinced Ymir to come here when they had been suspicious of the woman from the start. Why hadn't she listened to Ymir's warnings? Now Ymir was on a rampage and she wouldn't stop until only rubble and blood remained at her feet.

It was then that the government took action, sending soldiers with heavy equipment. It had only been an hour since Ymir had completely changed and she had already destroyed half of the city and killed most of the population. Those still alive were fleeing for their lives, but Ymir still got them. Krista ran behind her, trying to catch up. She was confident that if she got through to Ymir then the brunette would snap out of it.

She was terrified that the helicopters she could hear would kill Ymir with missiles. In the distance Ymir raged on, with Krista running as fast as she could behind.

Ymir woke with a loud gasp, eyes snapping open and sweat dripping from her chin. She felt the trickle of blood on her face and winced at the dull throbbing at the back of her head.

Her mouth felt dry and full of cotton, and when she tried to move she realized that she couldn't. With a heavy sense of dread Ymir looked around her surroundings but it was too dark. Wherever she was there was not a shred of light, and her entire body was chained up. She felt soil underneath her knees and dropped her head, mind racing.

Ymir didn't have to think hard to picture herself in the same position as the demon in that book. She could feel the thick chains around her arms and wrists, waist and neck. A short breeze filtered from somewhere and Ymir shivered.

She realized that she was naked. This realization made Ymir fall into a complete panic. Her breaths started to come out as loud, heavy gasps and her heart pounded too quickly in her chest. Before she could start pulling at her restraints, sudden light burst in front of her eyes and Ymir shut them quickly, flinching away.

A moment later her eyes adjusted and Ymir opened them to stare down at her bare, marked body. Fucking hell.

"We're glad that you're finally awake," someone snidely said.

Ymir's head snapped up and her eyes widened when she recognized each face in front her.

Hannah stood beside Mylius, clutching his arm and staring down at the ground. Closest to Ymir and the person that had spoken was Berik. Behind him Mike leaned against the wall, sharing a look with Nac—all the people that had pretended to be nice to them.

What the fuck was happening?

"Where am I?" Ymir asked levelly. Her voice sounded strangled and high. She swallowed desperately and struggled at the chains around her wrists.

"Nu-uh. Break free and we hurt your little girlfriend," Berik said. He pointed to the other end of the space they were in, grinning.

Ymir followed his pointing and clenched her teeth hard. Krista was crumbled against the dirty ground, hands bound behind her back and a rag stuffed into her mouth. There was a large bruise on her forehead with a slight stream of blood, but it had seemed to stop bleeding already.

"Ymir," Mike spoke up. He shoved Berik out of the way. "I'm sorry for this," he said. "This is something we need to do."

Ymir narrowed her eyes. "And what the fuck do I have to do with it? Why the hell am I chained here, naked?"

Mylius studied the spiralling black marks along her skin. "These marks are proof that you are a demon," he answered. "And you just happened to stop by the town just in time."

Ymir looked at Mike, anger and betrayal in her eyes. "Krista will be devastated," she said angrily. "Why the hell would you do this?"

Mike's eyes lowered in shame. "You would not understand."

A latch somewhere above them creaked open, throwing pale light over a wooden ladder. A pair of booted feet appeared and climbed down the ladder. Another man, one that Ymir did not recognize, turned when he stepped down onto the ground. The smile he sent her way was eerie.

"Is this our sacrifice?" he asked. The man had shortly cropped smooth black hair and a confident tilt to his walk. He went over to Ymir and then roughly grabbed her chin to lift her face and look into her eyes.

"It is, Tom sir," Berik answered when no one else did.

Tom hummed in delight. "It is just as the book says," he exclaimed happily. "Look at the red and black of the eyes! The horns!" He dropped her face and straightened. "How much longer?"

Mike sighed softly and rubbed at his chin. He glanced at his watch. "Ten more minutes until Black Moon. We should prepare."

Tom nodded and shared a look with the others. Everyone understood the silent command and retrieved cloaks from a stone table at the other end of the dark room. When they donned it Ymir couldn't tell them apart, and her chest tightened.

"At the peak of the moon, we shall offer our hearts," Tom said, but which of the figures was him Ymir couldn't tell.

She watched someone pull a heavy rope by the wall, and suddenly the ceiling opened up to the bright, starry sky. In the very centre of Ymir's vision the moon stood high, darkened grey in a way that Ymir couldn't explain.

A figure that Ymir assumed was Tom pulled a knife from his cloak and then cut a deep line in his palm before passing it on to the others. Each of them did the same, and when they were done they began to move together in a circle, hands outstretched as they drew ancient symbols with droplets of their blood.

"Why are you doing this?!" Ymir yelled, panicked.

"I lost my wife and daughter three years ago," Mike answered loudly.

"I lost my fiancé," Hannah added.

"My mother died of cancer," Mylius said.

"My son was murdered," Nac added tonelessly.

Tom and Berik offered no explanations.

They all stopped moving and then they threw the hoods of their cloaks off. "You are but a tool to reach our goals," Tom said. He turned to Ymir and thrust his arm out. Hannah quickly gave him a long, elegant blade. "As our sacrifice we are going to use Lord Lucifer to regain our lost ones."

Ymir's frightened laugh echoed in the small space. "I'm not a fucking mystical creature!" she yelled. "I am alive, just as much as you!"

"We will not believe your lies, demon!" Tom screamed. "You were sent here from hell in order to offer yourself up!"

"What the fuck? There is no such thing you dumb fucks! These shitty rituals are bullshit! Demons don't live in another plane. We are people just like you! We live among you!"

The others listened intently, but none looked up at Ymir. Years of religious upbringing made it difficult for them to believe otherwise.

"Ignore the demon," Tom told them. He approached Ymir and then pressed the point of the knife against her skin, where her marks began.

Ymir was filled with so much anger and frustration. These idiots truly believed that some bullshit in some dirty old book was the truth. They were so misguided.

"You don't understand what you're doing," Ymir said in a growl.

"We know exactly what we're doing," Tom said. He lifted his hand and the others surrounded Ymir and began chanting words that Ymir understood. They weren't saying them correctly, but Ymir knew them. A shiver rocked down her spine and her marks began to tingle.

_Fuck, calm down,_ Ymir told herself. The force of her emotions was making her body unstable. Her ears rang with the unpleasant chant from the group. They were all looking at her with pitying, eerie gazes. They felt bad yet they were still willing to murder someone to chase an impossible dream.

Ymir understood the desire to bring someone back from the dead, but this was just ridiculous.

"Stop," Ymir pleaded. "This won't work."

They continued to chant.

"Stop being dumbasses!"

They ignored her and Ymir trembled violently.

Just then Krista woke. Her eyes snapped open when recollection filled her senses. Chanting filled her ears, as well as Ymir's angered pleading.

Krista struggled into a sitting position and tried to undo the rope around her wrists. It was tied so tightly that she couldn't and because of the rag in her mouth she couldn't call out to Ymir. She could already see the horns growing and they were the longest Krista had ever seen them. Ymir's eyes were glazed over with fury and were steadily losing coherence as the group continued to chant and surround Ymir like vultures. Krista did not even spare hurt feelings for the betrayal. The faces around her became strangers and she struggled further at her bindings.

What were these people even thinking? If she did not figure out how to stop them and get Ymir out of there then things were going to end in the worst way possible.

The chanting gained in speed and became louder, voices echoing against the walls before bouncing to the sky. Krista gasped and grunted against the material in her mouth and did not see the hands coming her way until they wrapped around her throat and lifted her from the ground.

It was Berik, and he was grinning at her. "Since we're gonna kill the freak, I might as well have some fun with you." He pulled the rag out of her mouth and failed to dodge the spit that flew at his face from Krista's lips.

"Go to hell!" Krista yelled in anger.

Ymir heard the only voice that set her heart to ease and glanced up in time to see Berik send a punch across Krista's face. She fell hard against the floor and then Berik was on her, tearing at her clothes and unbuckling his belt.

Ice cold fear gripped Ymir's entire being, and then white hot pain pierced her heart as Tom thrust the knife into her chest, breaking ribs. The brunette felt a torrent of blood spray from her lips and fell forward because of the pain. She heard Krista's screams, the continued chanting. Then her body went limp and everything turned to silence.

Tom used the knife to cut a chunk of Ymir's flesh out until he got to her beating heart. He grinned triumphantly and ripped it out. Blood gushed and spurted and he did not even mind that it soaked his clothes in warmth and scarlet.

"Accept our offer, oh lord of darkness! We call forth your power in order to bring back what we so unfairly lost." Tom lifted his hands, with Ymir's still beating organ in his palms. He didn't expect it to still beat for so long, and when it continued to for a minute more he lowered it and stared down at it with a frightened expression. The others watched too, transfixed by the pumping organ that thumped even though it no longer served its purpose.

Suddenly Tom convulsed and dropped Ymir's heart to the ground. He died almost immediately, and it was Hannah that screamed first when she saw the arm that had speared through him, and the clawed hand that held the crushed remains of the man's heart.

Ymir pulled her arm free and then laughed, long and loud. Hannah immediately went for the ladder but Ymir stopped every person in the room with her ability. The air began to hiss with electricity and heat and Hannah screamed in agony as her skin began to boil. An instant later she exploded, showering meat, blood and flesh on the others. Nac, who had been right behind her, screamed in terror. He met the same fate.

Mike fell to the ground and stared at Ymir in terror. He realized then that she had been right. But there was no way that she was a mere person. This was a monster before him, and when those black, thirsty eyes fell on him tears and snot dripped down Mike's face and he attempted to crawl away.

"No, please!" he pleaded, face contorted in terror. "Don't kill me, please!"

Ymir barely looked human. Her muscles were bulged, limbs too long. Her horns were halfway out and her skin had already changed completely. A sadistic pleasure swept over her face as she watched Mike grovel at her feet. She barely even blinked when she ripped his arm off just to hear his scream, and then she closed her fist and Mike turned to ash.

The demon-born then turned to Mylius who was cowering in the corner. He had tried to escape but in his haste had tipped the ladder over, but it was already too late.

Ymir ran at him and in one heavy, fluid motion crushed his skull with her fist. She flicked the gore off of her hand and then turned to the last to suffer her wrath.

Berik stood with Krista in his arms, a knife pressed to her throat.

"S-stay the fuck away you monster!" he yelled. His breaths came out as high pitched pants and he could barely stand with the force of his shaking legs. "I'll kill her!"

Ymir narrowed her eyes and then stepped forward. Berik did not expect her to lash out at him even though he held Krista, someone supposedly dear to her. He and Krista, who was unconscious from Berik punching her one more time before Ymir went crazy, slammed against the wall.

Berik scrambled to his feet and then screamed when Ymir picked him up in her hands and slammed him into the wall, so hard that his spinal cord shattered, as did the surface behind him.

Ymir pulled him closer so that she could look closely into his eyes. Her red lips parted and she grinned, baring elongated fangs. "I might as well have some fun with you," she said. The voice that left her throat was nothing Berik had ever heard in his life before. It rattled through him so painfully that he began to cry instantly, and then he went limp when Ymir closed her teeth around his throat and ripped it out. She spat the chunk of flesh to the ground and then tossed Berik there too. She then stepped on him, over and over again until he was unrecognizable.

A soft groan caught Ymir's attention and she turned to see Krista lying on the floor. Nostrils flaring, breaths hot and heavy, Ymir padded over to her. A sick thought entered her mind, but before she could do anything that she would regret later on, Ymir forced her mind back. Instead of strangling her to death, Ymir gently picked Krista up and then pulled them out of the hole in the ground.

The blonde was so tiny in her arms and unfortunately messed with the blood and gore that dripped down Ymir's body.

The brunette managed to stumble into the barn and then she set Krista gently down on the hay, where their sleeping bags used to be, and collapsed beside her. She looked down at her huge, clawed hands, eyelids halfway open.

She had just killed six people.

Gradually Ymir's body reduced in size until she looked normal again. Her hair and skin was still matted with thick, gooey blood, and she was still naked. The last fact barely registered to her, because after she changed back all she could do was watch Krista.

The blonde remained unconscious for another good hour and when she woke she did so by gasping and sitting up. The rope around her wrists was gone and she ached all over. At first she was confused, but then she saw their car and a trail of blood that led from outside. Krista assumed the worst at first, almost breaking down into sobs, but then she finally noticed Ymir watching her and relief crashed down on her so hard that she cried.

"Ymir!" Krista hurried to her side, eyes running over her body. "Are you okay? This blood… is it…?"

Ymir shook her head. Her brows were creased and she did not try to cover herself. She looked exhausted and in pain, and Krista noticed steam lifting from her chest.

"Okay, let's get you cleaned up. Can I do that for you?"

Ymir nodded and allowed Krista to pull her into Mike's house. She remained absolutely silent as the blonde washed her body and hair and then just as quietly put her clothes on. When they left the house Krista saw the ditch they had crawled out of and wanted to see what had happened, but Ymir stopped her and spoke in a soft, raspy voice.

"You don't want to see it," she said.

Krista decided to listen to her and got Ymir into the passenger seat of the car. She did not know what happened, but the blood and gore gave her a good idea. Her heart was pounding in fear and sympathy and she drove them away from the farm with shaking hands. Eventually, when Dena was far behind them, Krista parked the car beside the highway and turned to Ymir.

"I killed them," Ymir answered before Krista even asked. She turned slowly and met Krista's shocked gaze. "They took my heart out," she said, and lifted her arm in front of her, fingers extended. "So I ripped them to pieces." She closed her fist suddenly, and then she started to laugh manically.

Krista could only watch, unable to respond. She watched as Ymir laughed, her eyes vacant. She watched as Ymir realized what she was doing and then covered her head with her hands before she began to scream.

She watched as she sat there, doing nothing for the first time in her life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Playlist for chapter IV**: Breathe You In by Thousand Foot Krutch and Witness by Daughtry.

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><p><strong>IV<strong>

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><p>"For tonight's special story, a tragedy has struck the small town of Dena," a stiff brunette anchor-woman announced, "Mutilated bodies were discovered in an underground bunker on a farm located just outside of the town. The owner of the farm, a man named Mike, has since disappeared. It is unclear whether some of the remains belong to him." A picture of Mike flashed on the screen, and in the background it switched over to a reporter at the scene. "On scene we have Samuel. Over to you Sam."<p>

"Thanks Lynne. As you can see the entire area has been closed off with crime tape as investigators and authorities clear out the remains and piece together what might have happened. Local authorities are unimpressed with the invasion of their town, but due to the sheer scale of the massacre they have no say in the matter."

"Are there any witnesses?" Lynne asked.

"Yes. There has been a report that a young man by the name of Thomas Wagner had stumbled upon the scene the day after it had happened. Almost immediately he called police and widespread panic rushed through the town's folk."

"And suspects?"

"As of today there are no known suspects. I spoke to some of the locals earlier and most of them described the appearance of two young teenage girls passing through, but they are cleared of suspicion due to the fact that most believe one of the teenagers to be a demon sent straight from hell."

Lynne seemed baffled and squinted at the camera. "A demon?"

On scene Samuel shrugged. "The locals are rather superstitious, therefore it is most likely a satanic ritual gone wrong, or a religious lunatic responsible for the deaths. Right now the police are baffled as to how any human could mutilate a body so horridly, but the investigation is still ongoing."

"Thank you Sam. Good luck over there. Today we have famous supernatural specialist Hanji Zoe with us, along with Pastor Nick and Rico Brzenka who has just published her fifth book titled 'The Lies Told of Modern Religion and Superstitious Belief'."

The camera panned out to reveal the three guests sitting to the anchor-woman's right.

"First of all, let's have your take on this incident Hanji. I heard that you rushed to the incident the moment there was a mention of possible otherworldly influence."

The camera zoomed in to a brunette woman sitting at the edge of the couch. She had thick glasses on, along with a lab coat that most thought was overdramatic. She smiled widely and pressed her hands together before taking a deep breath.

"Well, my long standing theory is that our common concept of angels and demons is wrong, and that in fact they live and breathe just as we do. Now, if this is in fact true, then what killed those people was not a demon from the underworld but in fact a person—"

"I'm sorry?" Rico interrupted. "Are you saying that demons are _people_?"

Hanji nodded vigorously. "As you stated in your latest book, religion was early man's attempts to understand the world. The bible itself is a collection of stories created to teach lessons and spread messages. In the past our primitive species would have revered any creature stronger than us. More than likely our visual depictions of demons are correct, though exaggerated."

Rico sighed and fiddled with her glasses. "While I do believe your understanding of early man is correct, there is no way that any mystical being exists in our natural world. Demons are just depictions of human failure and fear. In the past if one was born disabled, demons were to blame. It was merely a blaming tool, something to strike fear in ignorant hearts. Not a race of people."

"Yes, but—"

"How dare you!" Pastor Nick suddenly exploded. The camera quickly focused on the old man's red face. "How dare you two speak as if the Lord does not exist? This murder was clearly the work of the devil himself, whispering lies and deceptions into the ears of young unbelievers. Your book," he pointed a finger at Rico, "is the reason this has been allowed to happen! God is unhappy and angry at our sins, and He is showing us His wrath!"

Both Rico and Hanji rolled their eyes.

"Isn't your god supposed to be all loving?" Hanji asked.

"And if this is 'his wrath' then that makes your god a merciless killer. We don't know that these people were "heathens" or what sort of lives they led. They haven't even been identified yet!"

Pastor Nick wiped a tissue over his sweaty forehead and glared strongly into the camera. "Our time is coming to an end. Sinners and heathens are bringing the wrath of God upon us. Atheists and homosexuals are all to blame!"

"Alright, that's enough Pastor Nick!" Lynne interrupted in warning. "We are not here to discuss your godly views. Please stick to the topic at hand and try to refrain from acting on your emotions. We all have different opinions and we are here today to share them."

Pastor Nick rolled his eyes and slumped in the seat. He relented, but muttered bible verses under his breath.

Hanji ignored him afterwards and continued on with her earlier train of thought. "I've met a demon," she said. The crowd in the background gasped and muttered amongst themselves.

"Really?" Lynne asked.

Hanji nodded and grinned. "She looks just like you and me. Born as a normal human, raised as one."

"You speak in the present tense," Rico observed. "Do you mean this was recent, and that this "demon" still lives?"

"Of course!" Hanji exclaimed with a laugh. "We share conversation over coffee occasionally. As it is, she has her own life to live. As difficult as it is to believe, demons are not here to simply wreak havoc as some may think. They have a choice too, and for the past generations they have chosen to remain peaceful."

Lynne shook her head in amazement. She turned to Rico. "Now let's have your opinion on the murder scene," she said.

Ymir glanced away from the TV screen when she heard the door to the hotel open and shut. She saw blonde hair and then turned back to watching Rico explain her logic behind how it was not a demon that had committed the massacre.

Krista dropped a large plastic bag on the table and then noticed what Ymir was watching.

"… therefore, someone had to have had extreme anger and the right amount of adrenalin to—"

Krista quickly turned the TV off. "I, um, got Chinese," she said.

Ymir continued to blankly stare at the screen and then she nodded slowly and sniffed the air. Her stomach growled and she reached out to pull a box of noodles out. She didn't wait for Krista and grabbed a pair of chopsticks to begin eating.

Krista couldn't look at Ymir's face, so she nervously retrieved her own meal and sat down at the table opposite from Ymir.

Meanwhile, Ymir wondered if that Hanji person really had met a real demon. Did that mean there were more out there? Wouldn't surprise her, really.

"So… d-did you manage to get some sleep?" Krista asked, not looking up when Ymir looked at her.

"Not really," Ymir replied. She could sense the fear behind Krista's voice and her heart clenched.

"I think I'm going to sleep early tonight," Krista said. She placed her barely eaten meal back into the packet and then wiped her mouth off on a serviette. She passed by Ymir and paused beside her. "Ymir, I…" she reached out but froze just before touching Ymir's cheek. Suddenly Ymir stood, chair scraping behind her, and Krista stumbled back in fright. She swallowed and pressed a hand to her chest. "G-goodnight," she said quickly and then climbed into the second bed in the room.

Ymir looked at her back and rubbed at her eyes. She wordlessly left the hotel room to wander aimlessly around the empty parking lot again. She'd been doing it since they arrived, since she knew that Krista hadn't been able to look at her since they had left Dena.

Meanwhile Krista curled her fists beside her head and stared emptily out of the hotel window. She felt absolutely awful, and tears collected at the corners of her eyes. Why couldn't she just look Ymir in the eyes? She had barely glanced her way at all in the past few days.

In all honesty, she was still scared. Scared of the blood she had seen, of the crazy glint in Ymir's eyes. Krista had always held this belief that Ymir over exaggerated. Now she knew that was false. She knew what Ymir was really capable off, and she was frightened.

Being scared of Ymir had never even seemed a possibility to her. Not how afraid she was now and it hurt her so badly to know that she was pushing Ymir away because of something that she couldn't control.

"_Stop acting like I'm not dangerous and like you aren't scared of me."_

Ymir's words rang in Krista's head. She suddenly thought of home, of her family and of school. She missed them and a shameful regret filled her heart. Should she have left with Ymir? It had only been a week since leaving and Ymir had already murdered six people.

What if her dream of eating Krista came true?

Krista slapped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. Tears leaked out and wet the pillow below her head.

_No. No, no, no. I don't want to be afraid of her. I love her._

But Ymir's deranged laughter was still fresh in her memory and then her anguished screams. Krista curled into a ball and pressed her chin against her chest.

She would have to figure out how look at Ymir again.

XxX

_I don't have a good feeling about this_, Ymir thought a tad bit nervously.

She glanced behind herself, biting her lip in concentration. _I should just meet with her and then if I still feel weird then I can leave._ Ymir clasped her hands together and looked down at the ground. _She said she knows how to seal it away. I still haven't been successful._

Ymir's throat felt thick, like her oesophagus had swollen and air couldn't pass through. Her lungs burnt, her marks tingled and hurt. _ Alright,_ Ymir finally thought. She pulled her hands apart and allowed her feet to lead her into the mall.

She wandered around for a good hour, trying to find the restaurant she was supposed to meet the woman at, but it seemed that she was just going in circles.

_Where is it? _Ymir thought in frustration.

_Maybe I can use the note._

She retrieved the piece of paper from her pocket and lifted it to her nose and then inhaled deeply, eyes closed. Afterwards she put the paper back into her pocket.

_This time I'll fucking get it right._

Ymir used her insane sense of smell to track the scent on the paper. For the first few minutes she wasn't following any specific trail, but then she suddenly caught the familiar scent. It led her outside, to where a large fountain stood in the centre of a plaza. There were multiple tables and chairs scattered around, large umbrellas above them to shield those resting from the sun.

There were little children running about, a few even attempting to jump into the fountain for a swim. Luckily a father hurried to catch his daughter and sternly warned her not to act like an animal in public.

Ymir ignored them and followed her nose to the far side of the plaza. There, sitting in the shade wearing nothing but black, was her—and when Ymir made to step towards her, a sudden black mass flashed by her and the woman disappeared. Ymir's heart suddenly stopped and she fell forward, blood climbing up her throat. When she hit the ground she clutched at her chest, spasming.

This time there was no one to drop to her side and comfort her.

Ymir's eyes snapped open. Above her the ceiling was grey with darkness and bathed in a single bar of yellow light from the street below. Her heart thundered and Ymir pressed a hand to her chest. Her clothes were soaked through with sweat and Ymir lifted her other hand to rub the side of her face.

Painful emotions wracked her body for a long while as she focused on calming down. For once she hadn't transformed mid-dream, so there were no injuries or gushes of blood—just a broken heart.

Her future had changed, she realized. It didn't have Krista in it.

Ymir turned her head and caught the still figure of Krista in the bed beside hers. She missed feeling the blonde sleep on top of her. In that moment she wouldn't have minded having numb limbs due to Krista sleeping on them. She had been alone and cold for days now.

Would Krista ever touch her again? Would she ever get over her fear?

A very big part of Ymir wanted to be angry at Krista. She wanted to yell and punch the wall while asking why Krista broke every promise she'd made in the past. But then images of her crimes bore down on her and Ymir knew that she couldn't be angry at Krista; though the thought of losing her terrified the brunette. There was nothing she could really do to stop the blonde if she wanted to leave.

Where were they going to go now? Things were awkward and tense and Ymir had all but given up in finding some way to stop her impending destruction of the world. At least if Krista wasn't with her then she wouldn't eat her.

Ymir quietly climbed out of bed and slipped a pair of jeans and a hoody on. She found her sneakers nearby and after putting them over her feet, made for the door, but tripped over her bag in the darkness; it slid underneath her bed. She cursed softly and braced for the fall. Luckily she landed on her hands and knees so she barely felt the impact.

Ymir breathed shakily as she rose to her feet. Had she become a klutz on top of a murderer? A strange, piercing warm feeling filled Ymir's chest and made her stomach lurch. She quickly covered it up with numbness and pressed a hand firmly to her forehead until it faded.

Ever since that day… she had been struggling with her sanity. Just thinking about the massacre sent strange feelings through her body and she caught herself wanting to do it again. It repulsed her. It made her feel angry and upset. Most times she would end up throwing up, because the taste of Berik's flesh and blood would explode on her taste buds and she just couldn't handle it.

At first she had been traumatized. Krista had watched her scream. Afterwards, after screaming and panicking, the anxiety melted away to nothing. Ymir felt nothing. The usual guilt and shame, yeah, but not overwhelming guilt at the brutal murder of six mislead people. Actually, a sick part of Ymir still smirked darkly. That part told her they deserved it.

_They were idiots. They lead themselves to their death, me as their tool. Had that fluke ritual worked, would I have been the sole person responsible for opening the gate? Of course not. Therefore I am not responsible for taking their lives. It was fun, wasn't it? Turning them to ash and gore and watching their blood spray everywhere. It was the most fun I've ever had. If only Krista—Krista… No. What am I thinking? That wasn't fun! I'm a fucking monster. Oh god. Someone help me out of this nightmare. I can't control myself or escape this hell. I've tried so many times… so many goddamn times._

Ymir ignored the vicious voices in her head and walked away from the hotel building. She noticed a café still open and headed towards it with her hands stuffed into her pockets, her hood thrown over her head. She did not want anyone to see her marks.

As Ymir approached the store she felt the presence of someone behind her and stopped walking. Whoever had started to follow paused as well. When Ymir started walking again, so did the person.

Instead of fear, excitement filled Ymir and she bit down harshly into her lip until blood leaked out. If that person was to touch her, she would most likely lash out without control and rip their throat out. Ymir didn't want to do that. She didn't want to stain herself in more blood. When would this battle against herself cease?

She made it to the café and hurried inside. The person entered behind her but took a seat to the left of the store. Ymir breathed a small sigh of relief and internally chastised herself for being so goddamn paranoid.

Ymir had been wondering why the news hadn't mentioned her name yet. They'd mentioned two teenage girls, but that was it. Why hadn't Thomas told them about her? Surely he had an idea that it was Ymir that had done it, since he had been there that day. He knew that they had stayed with Mike and now they were gone, with a pool of blood and gore in their wake—no, in Ymir's wake. Krista was still innocent, she was clean.

The brunette sat down on a stool and pressed her mouth against her palm. She didn't really feel like drinking anything, but the silence and darkness eased her nerves. She ordered a coffee anyway, eyes not meeting the woman that approached her to take the order. Her voice was low when she spoke, and she pulled the hood down lower when the woman went off to make her simple order.

"You look very suspicious," someone spoke beside her.

Ymir startled but showed no outward reaction. She clenched her teeth and turned her face ever so slightly to the person that had just recently taken the seat beside her; it was the person that had followed her in, and they were also wearing a hood over their face.

"Can I help you?" Ymir asked harshly. Maybe if she acted like a dick then the person would leave.

"Wow, you sound just like her." The person dropped the hood and Ymir's eyes widened. "I'm Hanji Zoe. You probably saw me on the news." She held her hand out and smiled brightly.

Ymir studied her face in astonishment. What did this mean? Her heart began to pound. Were the police onto her? Was this some sting operation? Though, if Ymir was put into jail she would only end up killing everyone there. So far she had realized that nothing could kill her—not even having her heart torn out.

"Oh don't look so frightened," Hanji said with a laugh. She smiled at the woman that approached with Ymir's coffee. "Hi, can I have one too?"

"Sure." The woman smiled back and went off to make another.

"Now, take your hood off so that I can see your face."

Ymir glanced to the side to see the door. It could take her a minute to be out of the door. Could she run fast enough? But what if police were surrounding the place? Running would label her guilty almost immediately.

"Um," Ymir began to tremble. "I don't know who you are," she said unsteadily.

"Obviously, we've only just met! But I'd really like to get a look at your face. Please?" Hanji placed a hand on Ymir's shoulder and frowned at how tense she was. "Wow, you really think I'm here to arrest you?"

Ymir didn't respond. She clenched her fists and stared down into her coffee.

"I didn't want to have to do this," Hanji said. "But it seems I really have no choice. Ymir, look at me."

Ymir straightened in her seat and looked at Hanji in bafflement. "H-how do you know my name?"

"I had a long chat with Thomas," Hanji said as she removed her glasses and glanced around to make sure no one was looking their way. There were barely any other people there, since it was quite early in the morning but Hanji still had to make sure. "Ymir, when I show you please don't make a scene."

Ymir was about to ask what Hanji meant, but then the breath left her body when Hanji's eyes clouded over in black and red and it was like looking into a mirror. Ymir gripped the table in front of her and sat there, speechless.

Hanji's eyes quickly returned to normal and then she re-perched her glasses atop her nose. "See?" She smiled and scooted closer. "I'm a friend. We are the same."

Ymir, eyes wide, licked her dry lips. "You… are you…?"

"Like you? I am. Now that I showed you mine, please show me yours." Hanji grinned playfully at her joke and bumped shoulders with the young brunette. "No tricks, I swear."

Ymir couldn't deny that what she had just seen was real. Hanji had just shown her eyes that she had only ever seen in a mirror. Was she a demon too?

There was no other choice, really, so Ymir nervously dropped the hood from her face and looked at Hanji. She gasped when the woman suddenly stood and grabbed her face.

"They've spread," Hanji said seriously to herself. "Ymir, how long have they been spreading? How far do they spread?"

Ymir watched Hanji's eyes shift from their natural colour to red. She didn't understand why Hanji seemed so upset. "S-since I can remember? And they're all over."

"Shit!" Hanji released her and slumped back down into her seat. The few other people were starting to look their way. "This is… this is really bad. Super, super bad."

Ymir self-consciously rubbed a hand over the marks on her neck. "Why is it bad?" she asked.

Hanji pulled her glasses off to rub at her eyes. "Ymir, you don't really understand what you are, do you?"

"I'm a monster."

Hanji sighed deeply. "No, not a monster. At least, that wasn't the plan." Hanji returned her glasses and then looked to Ymir again. This time she took a moment to look closely at Ymir's face. "I got such a fright from the marks that I didn't even take a good look at you. Scoot closer." Ymir did as she was told and grunted in annoyance when Hanji grabbed her face again. She tilted her head in all angles, studying every feature of her face. "Huh," she said.

"What?"

"You have a startling resemblance."

"To who?"

Hanji gave Ymir's cheek a pat and turned forward again. She noticed her order of coffee had arrived and sent the server an appreciative smile. Humming, Hanji took a long sip of the hot brew and sighed in content.

"That will have to be discussed at a later stage," Hanji said.

Ymir remained sitting sideways. She was still baffled by this woman's strangeness. Who did she look like? What did Hanji mean?

"Ymir, I need you to come with me." Hanji's playfulness suddenly dropped and all humour left her eyes, replaced by a startlingly angry red. Ymir wasn't sure what the anger was directed at.

"What do you mean? I have no obligation to do anything you want me to do."

Hanji took another sip of coffee. "I will forcefully take you with me if I need to. This is the promise that I have to fulfil. You are a danger to everyone in your current state." The bespectacled woman rubbed her chin in thought. "We had no idea that your powers had been awakened."

"Wait, powers? I'm sorry lady but you don't know me." Ymir's eyes flashed red this time. Her marks tingled with her aggravation. "I don't know what the hell you want with me, but I want nothing to do with it."

"Do you care for Krista?"

Ymir froze upon hearing the name. "Of course I do!"

Hanji's eyes lowered to stare at the smooth surface of the table. "Then you need to leave her and come with me. Your body won't hold out much longer. Ymir, in order to quite literally save the world you need to come with me. I have someone that you desperately need to meet."

"Leave Krista?" Ymir was saying it more to herself than anything.

"Call her family, here," Hanji pulled her phone out and placed it in front of Ymir. "Get her family here to fetch her and when you know that she's safe, find me here," she placed a slip of paper on the table beside the phone. "I'll pick you up and we can seal your powers away for good."

Ymir's mind raced. "Is there really a way to seal it?"

Hanji groaned and collapsed against the table, nearly sending her coffee all over the place. "We were supposed to seal it the second you were born, but they—" she paused, thought better of admitting the truth and then sat up to finish her coffee.

Ymir knew that more questions would get her no answers, so she merely watched Hanji's face. The woman looked deeply troubled, though she shrugged her shoulders and instead smiled brightly.

Suddenly Hanji grabbed Ymir's hand and then pulled her sleeve up. She inspected the marks along her arm and then clucked her tongue.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh," Hanji said. She pressed a finger to Ymir's wrist and the freckled brunette hissed when sharp pricks shot up her arm. She tried to struggle free but Hanji's grip was too strong, and then the woman eventually let go and Ymir saw that she had inscribed small words against her tanned skin. "There. That'll protect you for now."

Ymir lifted it to her face to inspect it. The words looked foreign but the meaning was readable to her. "What the hell is this?!"

"Something that you needed," Hanji answered. "I cannot believe that it's taken so long since—" she paused again.

"Since what?"

Hanji ignored the question. "Well, shit happens!" She laughed. "At least I finally found you. As horrid as it seems, I am thankful for that murder in Dena. Without it we might have been too late." She pulled money from her pocket and slapped it down on the table. "Think my offer over, Ymir. Whether you decide to or not, you're coming with me." Though her words were threatening, her eyes softened considerably and she placed a warm palm against Ymir's cheek. "I thought I'd never see you again, or alive for that matter. We thought you would have been killed by now."

Ymir simply stared. She swallowed loudly.

Hanji tapped her nose with a smile and then took a few steps away. "If you stay with your blonde you _will _hurt her, Ymir. I'm surprised you haven't yet. If you truly care about her, and if you ever want to get control over yourself, you'll place that call and follow my note." The brunette winked to soften her words and then headed for the café doors. "I'll be waiting!" she threw over her shoulder.

Ymir could only watch her walk away, absently rubbing at the new marks on her skin.

XxX

Ymir's mind was still racing when she quietly opened the door and crept back into the hotel room. It was just as dark as when she had left, but then a light suddenly switched on and Ymir shielded her eyes from it.

"Ymir?" Krista was standing by the table, face wet and red. It was obvious that she had been crying—hard.

"Krista…" Ymir pressed her back up against the door, eyes focused on the ground.

"Ymir, you…" Krista felt more tears pour over her cold cheeks and warm them. Suddenly she was running and then she collapsed against Ymir's chest and clutched at her shirt. "Your bag was gone and I thought you left," she said between sobs and hiccups.

Ymir didn't know how to react, and she hesitantly wrapped her arms around Krista. The most amazing warmth swept through her and she released a shaking breath in relief. Krista was always so warm and so soft. It felt wonderful to hug her again. Ymir felt like she hadn't hugged her in forever.

"I thought you left and I became so sad," Krista continued to cry.

Ymir pressed her lips to the crown of Krista's head and closed her eyes. She could feel Krista trembling. "You're scared of me."

Krista quieted. She heard Ymir's heartbeat against her ear and felt the warmth seep from her body. She was scared. Though she had gotten the fright of her life she was still afraid. Images of Ymir's real form kept flashing behind her eyes and no matter how hard she tried, she just could not stop imagining how Ymir had killed those people.

"It's okay," Ymir said softly. She gently stroked Krista's hair and allowed the blonde to cry against her. She felt the weight of Hanji's phone in her pocket, and suddenly Ymir realized that Hanji had been right.

The way she was now, she would ruin everything with Krista. She wanted to be someone that Krista could look to for strength and comfort. She wanted to be someone that everyone envied Krista for. She wanted to be the person that truly deserved the emotions Krista had spent on her.

Leaving Malia as suddenly as they had was a naïve, impulsive decision. Taking Krista with her had been a bad idea. Ymir wanted to be able to walk hand-in-hand with Krista, as an equal. For now she couldn't. Her body was wracked with too many problems, her mind riddled with too many issues.

If she ever deserved to kiss Krista's lips, then it definitely wasn't now.

"Krista, it's late. You should get to bed." Ymir didn't move to touch Krista further, because she knew that the blonde would have been frightened by it.

Krista sniffled loudly and then she nodded and stepped away. "Please don't leave me," she said tearfully.

Ymir's heart ached and she reached out to caress Krista's cheek. The blonde flinched, so she paused midway and then dropped her arm. "Get to bed," Ymir said. "I'll be here when you wake."

XxX

_Krista fidgeted nervously as she stood in front of the door to Ymir's house. The brunette hadn't been at school that day and so she had decided to stop by to see if Ymir was alright and to give her the work she had missed. _

_When the door swung open Krista expected to see the annoyed freckled face that she often dreamt about, but instead it was Nanaba, Ymir's older sister._

"_Uh, hi…" Krista greeted nervously._

_Nanaba's blue eyes softened and she grinned. "You're her, aren't you?"_

"_Um… I'm sorry?"_

_The tall blonde chuckled and moved aside to allow Krista in._

"_Ymir has been complaining about 'an annoying little blonde tailing her ass like a fly'. I'm guessing that it's you."_

_Krista pouted and blushed. "I guess. I'm Krista."_

"_Nanaba," the taller blonde said and shook hands with the smaller girl. "Don't worry, she acts like a jerk but really I think she likes you."_

_Now Krista was blushing madly. She hadn't met Nanaba yet since the tall blonde was too busy with her studies, but she had seen her around Ymir a few times at school. By asking around she had discovered that her name was Nanaba, she was _very_ much into girls and that she was Ymir's sister. Krista had been very confused initially because they looked absolutely nothing alike, but then she discovered that Ymir had been adopted and it made more sense._

"_I'm sorry for stopping by so suddenly," Krista said. "The teacher asked someone to bring this to Ymir and I was the only one that volunteered."_

_Nanaba chuckled and sighed. She rubbed a hand through her short blonde hair and then shrugged. "That douche. Does she treat _anyone_ kindly?"_

_Krista didn't want to speak badly of Ymir but she couldn't exactly lie. "N-not really."_

"_I'm surprised that you haven't hightailed it yet."_

_Krista's blush fell away and determination took her features. "I love her and want to make her happy," she blurted out. When she realized what she had admitted she slapped a hand over her mouth. "I-I mean that she looked so lonely… I, um… I couldn't just let her be alone."_

_Nanaba seemed genuinely surprised but insanely pleased. She couldn't stop herself from pouncing on Krista to give her a tight hug. "Oh my god you are adorable! Why hasn't Ymir asked you out yet? I can't believe that idiot's luck."_

_Krista blushed more brightly than she had earlier and giggled as Nanaba rubbed their cheeks together and cooed. _

"_What the hell are you doing?" Ymir spoke up from the hallway. She stood with an arm clamped firmly over her stomach, her skin pale and wet with sweat. _

_Nanaba noticed her and straightened in alarm. "Ymir, I—"_

"_Not you," Ymir snapped. "Why are you here?" she directed at Krista._

_The blondes shared a look and then Krista nervously stepped forward. "I came to g-give you today's notes and let you know about the test we're gonna have on Friday." _

_Ymir eyed her through narrowed eyes and then she suddenly went into a coughing fit and fell against the wall. Nanaba was by her side in seconds. _

"_Ymir, you shouldn't have gotten up."_

_Ymir growled and shoved Nanaba away from her. "I'm not your fucking patient!" she yelled. "Pity someone else. Fuck sakes." She coughed again and this time speckles of blood splashed against her fist. This caused Krista to notice the blood stains on Ymir's shirt—they looked fresh._

"_Y-Ymir, maybe you should get into bed. Please?" Krista slowly approached and then placed a trembling hand against Ymir's skin. She had to suppress her surprised gasp when she felt how insanely hot the brunette's skin was._

_Ymir gave her a long, hard stare and then she huffed and turned around on her heel. She slowly pulled herself down the hall towards her bedroom, breaths coming out as hot gasps. She felt dizzy and sick and had in fact just finished emptying her stomach in the bathroom. _

_The brunette hated it when she became sick like this._

_Krista followed Ymir all the way into her room, silently enough that Ymir startled when she was about to climb into bed and she noticed the blonde by her doorway._

"_What else did you come here for?" Ymir growled at her._

_Krista nervously closed the door and then went over to Ymir. She noticed a bowl of water with a cloth in it and gently pushed Ymir down onto the bed. _

"_I wanted to see you," she admitted shyly._

_Ymir reluctantly laid back and watched curiously as the blonde rung the cloth out and then scooted close._

"_Can I please wipe you down?" Krista asked softly._

_Ymir took a breath to immediately yell no, but then she caught Krista's blue gaze and the breath passed through her lips in an exhale. She gripped at her boxers and swallowed. Why did she feel comfortable with the girl in her room? Ymir couldn't even handle her own siblings bothering her._

"_Whatever," Ymir responded. _

_Krista smiled slightly and then scooted as close as she could so that she could run the cloth over Ymir's face to clean the sweat. At first she was distracted by the freckles and at some point began to count them, but then Ymir's twitching eyebrow told her that the brunette was becoming annoyed so she quickly withdrew to rinse the cloth and distract her pounding heart._

"_C-could I wipe your back?"_

_Ymir had been perfectly still and silent up until now, but suddenly she shot up and glared at Krista. "What the hell is your objective here?" She seemed so upset._

"_U-um… I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"_

_Ymir rubbed her face and sighed deeply. "No. If you're done playing nurse then could you please leave?" She dropped down again and turned onto her side. Since she was wearing a tank top Krista saw a glimpse of black against her skin and couldn't help but reach out to pull the shirt aside on Ymir's back._

_Ymir felt it and reacted by lashing out and pushing Krista off of the bed. Krista grabbed Ymir as she fell and the brunette didn't have enough time to grab for something to stop her fall. She fell with Krista and the two landed with a thud on the ground._

"_Fuck," Ymir exclaimed. She realized that she had fallen on top of Krista and quickly scrambled to get off of her. "Shit, I'm sorry!" She reached out and took Krista's hand to pull her up, but then paused halfway when she realized what she was doing. She quickly dropped her hand and stumbled away._

"_What are those marks?" Krista asked. She pointed at Ymir's chest, eyes serious. "Is that a tattoo?"_

_Ymir noticed her shirt sleeve had slunk down, exposing the spirals on her chest, and quickly covered it up by fixing her shirt. "No!" Ymir replied angrily. "I was born with them."_

_Krista hesitantly scooted closer and she was surprised when Ymir didn't move away. Once she was close enough she looked into Ymir's eyes and slowly reached out. Ymir didn't move a muscle. She breathed unevenly and allowed Krista to press a trembling palm against her chest, where her marks began._

"_Ymir," Krista said softly. "I want to know about you." She glanced down at her hand and then back up at Ymir._

_The acceptance Ymir saw there made her stomach flip. Her chest buzzed with foreign emotions and Ymir had to swallow. Strangely, she wasn't feeling a suffocating anxiety at someone touching her._

_Nanaba had touched her once and she had broken the blonde's nose. Of course she had apologised and felt like shit about it for weeks. Ever since then everyone had learnt to never touch Ymir unexpectedly. At least Nanaba had gotten over it rather quickly. _

"_Why do you even care?" Ymir asked softly. Her eyes studied Krista's, wide and searching and scared. She had never been this close to a person before, and she didn't understand why Krista's proximity was making her body feel weird._

"_Would it be strange if I said that I simply just care?"_

"_Yeah."_

_Krista sighed softly but smiled. Though annoying, it could be amusing when Ymir was being difficult. _

"_Can I see it? Please?"_

_Ymir wanted to say no. She wanted to shove Krista away like she had earlier and create distance between them, but she also didn't want to. The strangest desire overtook her, and without consciously doing so Ymir nodded her head._

_Krista's eyes widened in surprise and then more so when Ymir slowly pulled the shirt down to expose the marks just above her breast._

"_I was born with it," Ymir said softly. Her hands were shaking. She stared at the floor and glared. "I didn't ask for it."_

_Krista reached out to touch the black marks but then thought better of it and curled her hands into fists against her lap. "What caused them?" she asked._

_Krista didn't know the truth yet. All she knew was that Ymir was difficult and someone wracked with problems. Ymir knew that the blonde wasn't aware of what she really was. Who really did? None of her family members knew. Of course she couldn't tell them. What would they think and feel? They would have kicked her onto the streets, and that was one place Ymir never wanted to go back to ever again. _

_With a shrug Ymir covered her marks again and then pressed her head against the wall to her back. "Pain," she said. "Indescribable amounts of pain."_

_In that moment Krista saw Ymir for who she was—not the nasty, harsh person that most despised and feared, but the person calling out for help and filled with so much pain that it was unbearable._

_The realization ripped through Krista's heart like a strike of pain and she couldn't stop herself from shooting forward to give the brunette a long, heartfelt hug._

"_I'm so sorry," Krista said, voice cracking. "You've been so alone for so long." She tightened her arms and buried her face against Ymir's neck. "I'm so sorry that you've had to suffer alone all this time."_

_Ymir stared straight forward, her arms limp at her side and chest heaving. Her marks began to tingle and burn and she felt the blood climbing her throat. She closed her eyes to force the pain away, but instead focused on the blonde against her. _

_Without conscious thought Ymir wrapped her arms around her, and for the first time in forever she didn't feel alone anymore._

Krista's eyes opened not due to the morning light pouring in through the hotel window, but instead due to the aching of her heart. She felt it pounding and hurting, and placed a hand over the spot. For once she was the one to wake from a painful dream. It was a memory, one of the many that Krista absolutely cherished.

It was this dream that reminded Krista that Ymir had been in so much pain and suffering before, and still was. How much more was she suffering now? Krista was acting like a child, afraid of reality and attempting to run from it.

She was still scared. What Ymir had done was horrible. If she had done it intentionally, in her right mind, then perhaps there would never be coming back from that—but she hadn't. Ymir had been pushed to her limit after begging for them to stop.

Krista remembered Berik, remembered his sweaty hands on her body and she shivered violently at the memory. She also remembered turning her head just in time to see that man slice into Ymir's chest before Berik had knocked her out.

How much pain had Ymir endured in the time that Krista had been out? How much more had she suffered afterwards, when, seeking the usual comfort she had grown needful off, was denied anything of the sort? How had Ymir not broken into a fit of sobs or outraged yelling? All she had been since the incident was distant and cold.

Maybe it was her only way to cope.

Krista's heart burnt with love and pain and she no longer wanted to run. She wanted to deal with her feelings head on and work _with_ Ymir to get over the fear. She would have to work hard to accept the reality that had been handed to them and accept Ymir for what she was and what she was capable of. Krista wasn't sure if she would be able to truly accept Ymir as a murderer, but she was damn determined to try.

A light snore tore Krista from her thoughts and she turned her head. She was slightly startled to see Ymir in her bed, though the brunette was as far from her as possible, practically falling off of the bed. Krista smiled and her heart warmed for once.

Ymir had kept to her word; she had stayed.

Krista sniffled as sudden tears burnt her eyes and she scooted closer to mould her body to Ymir's. The overwhelming fear that had taken her melted away under the strong scent that Krista knew so well, and the comforting warmth from Ymir's long body.

Krista laughed softly when she spotted the splatter of freckles on Ymir's exposed shoulders. Her skin was too hot, so she had most likely broken out into a fever during the night and put something lighter on.

Suddenly the events of the last week didn't matter. Krista felt at home again. She was no longer terrified, though she doubted that she would feel the same if Ymir were to get upset in her presence. At least now she could touch Ymir's skin and be close to her without feeling an irritational need to get away in case something happened.

Even now she knew that Ymir would never _want_ to hurt her.

Ymir groaned softly in her sleep and then instinctively circled Krista in her arms. She pulled the blonde tightly to her body and Krista's breathing quickened. She was mostly frightened by how quickly it had happened and by how tight Ymir had pulled her in, but then she realized why. Ymir was afraid of losing her and in her subconscious mind was holding her close so that she couldn't get away.

Krista's heart warmed with the illogical love she held for the person holding her so tightly. It no longer mattered what Ymir did or what she was. Krista merely wanted to love her even if she never received that love in return.

That is the kind of emotions she wanted to hold for the brunette and that is what she had felt so strongly until now. She refused to let something they couldn't control come in the way of that.

Krista wiggled around to loosen Ymir's arms and then scooted away slightly so that there was enough room for her to pull Ymir's shirt upwards. Her eyes scanned Ymir's sweaty, tanned and freckled skin until it landed at the marks by her heart. She did not blush or even think about her actions.

She stared seriously at the spot where Ymir had been stabbed and then pressed a hand to the skin there. A strong heartbeat is what she felt, along with smooth, undamaged skin. There was no scar either and no sign that there had ever been a wound. Krista sighed in relief and pressed her forehead against Ymir's marks. She hadn't noticed when Ymir's body grew absolutely still and when the snoring stopped, so her eyes snapped open in surprise when she felt Ymir's chest vibrate with her voice.

"What are you doing?"

Krista didn't move away. Instead she lowered Ymir's shirt so as not to make her uncomfortable and embarrassed and then threw an arm around Ymir to hold her tightly.

"Cuddling," she answered.

Ymir stared down at Krista's blonde hair, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "I thought…" she looked over her shoulder and remembered that she had snuck into Krista's bed earlier. Why hadn't she been kicked out by now?

"I'm sorry Ymir," Krista said. "I've been making this about myself and thinking badly of you for something you didn't have control over." Krista's grip tightened. "I dreamt about the day I first saw your marks." Her hand pressed to the said marks and then Krista tipped her head back to smile up at Ymir's face. "No matter what Ymir, I'm always on your side."

Ymir stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. The most beautiful smile spread out on her face afterwards and then she started to cry. The anger and pain from what she had done suddenly washed over her and Ymir allowed Krista to see all of it.

"I'm sorry," Ymir uttered between sobs. "I didn't want to," she cried. "I didn't."

Krista's heart clenched and she felt absolutely furious at herself for her lapse in judgement. Seeing Ymir cry like this eased Krista's worries and she wiggled herself out of their position so that she could pull Ymir down to rest against her chest. She felt Ymir's tears wet her shirt and allowed the brunette to curl up against her.

"It's okay Ymir," Krista said. She ran a hand along Ymir's back, trying not to notice how hard her shoulders were convulsing as she cried.

"I'm sorry," Ymir repeated.

Krista wasn't really sure what Ymir was apologising for. If anything Krista was the one that needed forgiveness. However, the blonde didn't talk. She merely held onto Ymir as the brunette cried out her sorrow. After a while, when Ymir calmed down, Krista whispered softly to her and Ymir listened to the vibrations against her ear.

Ymir's eye watered again. She did not want to leave. She did not want to lose Krista.

But if she didn't go, then Krista had no future, and neither did she.

XxX

_A woman's screams echoed in an underground cave. Around her multiple candles threw orange light against the walls. The woman had long brown hair stuck to her skin with sweat and pale skin lit up by candle light._

_The woman yelled again and pressed a hand to her swollen belly. She rested on a thin mattress atop a wooden bed. Beside her a man sat on an old stool, bent over and hands clasping her own._

"_How is it going?" he asked her._

_The woman took deep, even breaths and grunted when more pain wracked through her body. "I think it's time," she said in a puff of hot air._

_The man's eyes widened and then he stood to hurry out of the enclosed space. The screams of his wife followed at his back. Standing just outside of the cave was an elderly man with no hair on his head and a long beard on his chin. _

"_Jacob," the man said. "She's ready."_

_Jacob nodded slightly and then put a hand atop the man's shoulder. "You must not worry. This child will bring forth the end of the world. Screams of pain during the child's birth will be music to its ears."_

_The man nodded and then swallowed. "D-does my child really have to be the end?"_

_Jacob's eyes darkened with sympathy. "You knew this when you conceived," he warned. "This child was born for one purpose—to end it all."_

_The freckled man nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry. She needs you, so…"_

_Jacob smiled in relief and then patted the man's arm. "Wait here. You do not want to see the monster when it is born."_

"_Will… will the baby really look like a monster?"_

_Jacob turned quickly. "If your wife survives birth I will be surprised." He said nothing more and then hobbled his way inside. "Adriana, are you ready?"_

_Adriana glanced up at the man and nodded. "I have been for hours."_

"_Then let us get this over with."_

_After many tortured screams later, the echoed of an infant's cries bounced along the walls. The sound drew the man in and when he noticed Jacob standing by his wife's side he hurried to her and took her hand in his._

"_How are you feeling?" he asked._

"_Like I just gave birth to twenty babies," she replied jokingly. _

"_You did well," Jacob said. In his arms a bundle moved._

_The man's eyes locked onto it and he swallowed. "Is it a girl?"_

_Adriana smiled. "It is."_

_The man sighed in utter relief. "I was so worried. If it was a boy we would have had to dispose of him and try again."_

_Jacob rounded the bed to the man's side. "Your efforts have been rewarded," he said, handing the bundle over to the man._

_He glanced down at the little girl in his arms, at the wet brown hair, the swollen redness of her face and the darkness of her skin. If he didn't know what she really was then he would have found her to be cute._

_The baby hadn't cried since the first time after being brought into the world. She rested easily, chest lifting and falling with ease. Her hands curled and uncurled, and then her eyes opened and glanced up at the man that had fathered her._

_He saw her stare and opened his mouth in a silent scream. Black and red eyes bore up at him, filled with so much intelligence and hatred that he would have dropped the child to the floor if he hadn't suddenly exploded into tiny bits._

_Adriana began to scream and fell from the bed. She was bleeding profusely and the wind left her lungs when she fell._

"_I gave birth to a monster!" she yelled, eyes filled with hatred towards the infant crying on the ground. She turned to find Jacob, but he had disappeared. Where he had stood a pile of ashes remained._

_Adriana understood. _

"_My god, what have we done?"_

_The baby continued to cry, wailing and limbs shaking. Adriana did not spare her a glance as she crawled towards the cave entrance._

_She wouldn't make it in time, and bled to death in the dirty soil. _

Ymir's eyes fluttered open when she felt a tickle above her eyebrow. She saw Krista leaning over her, smiling gently but eyes full of worry. The blonde was caressing her face, outlining the dips and lines of her cheeks and jaw.

"You were twitching in your sleep," she said.

"When did I dose off?" Ymir lifted herself onto her elbows and rubbed at her sore eyes. She hadn't intended to fall asleep.

"Only ten minutes ago," Krista answered. "You weren't asleep for long."

Ymir tipped her head to the side and smiled slightly at the blonde. "Your heartbeat sent me to sleep."

Krista smiled and placed her hand over Ymir's. "Ymir, thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything."

Over the past few days, after Krista finally decided that she needed to get over the past, Ymir had been treating Krista with the utmost care. They ate together on the hotel couch or bundled up in blankets. When it was dark and silent they would cuddle close together on the bed and Krista would tell Ymir of stories from her childhood.

Ymir barely dreamt anything and when she became sick Krista was quick to soothe her with a hand running through her hair. That is what they had been doing and what had lulled Ymir into sleep along with her heartbeat.

The brunette yawned and then collapsed back down onto the bed.

"Why'd you let me fall asleep?"

Krista's smile was soft. "You looked so peaceful until something started to bother you. Was it the dream?"

Ymir's smile turned to a frown and she roughly rubbed at her neck. "Naw. Hey, wanna get some ice-cream or something? We've been hauled up in here for days."

They had barely left the room in favour of cuddling underneath blankets. It was primarily due to Krista's fear of being around other people with Ymir, though she needed to get over it.

For a long while Krista considered it. She watched Ymir's face as she did, and then she obviously decided that it was okay when she hopped off of the bed and nodded towards the door.

"Okay. Let's just try to spare _some_ money. We're running out."

Ymir stood and then bent down to ghost her lips over Krista's forehead. She headed for the door, hiding her frown. "That won't be a problem."

They left the room and headed down to the café Ymir had been to a few days before. Krista didn't know of Ymir's meeting with Hanji, since Ymir hadn't told her.

"What do you want?"

Krista looked over the desert menu for a long while, thinking. "Hmm, this banana one looks really nice. But it's so expensive."

Ymir flagged down the waitress and then pointed to the menu. "Two of that banana thing please."

Krista sputtered but was not in time to stop the woman from hopping off. She placed the menu on the table and then turned to regard Ymir.

"Ymir, I wasn't joking. We really are running out of money. If we don't cool it we'll need to find a job to ever leave this city."

Ymir shrugged her shoulders. "Live a little. You never know what might happen, you know." She looked away as she said it and then folded her arms across the table. "I just want to enjoy an awesome desert with you."

Krista didn't like the way Ymir's eyes looked and her heart beat uncomfortably in her chest. She rubbed at it and cleared her throat. "Okay, I guess." What harm could it do? But Krista was determined that after this they would not buy anything expensive again.

Their deserts came and it was sweeter than Ymir had expected. The awkward silence turned into a contented one as the both of them dug into their deserts, the only sound around them being the clink of their spoons against the bowl.

Krista forgot her earlier troubles and enjoyed the absolute heaven on her taste buds. In that moment she completely forgave Ymir, and wanting to reward her, came up with an amusing idea.

"Ymir, say ah." The blonde held her spoon out, filled with ice-cream and banana, and smiled in amusement at Ymir when the brunette lifted an eyebrow in question. "Oh come on, just eat it!" She pouted. "Please?"

Ymir sighed softly and rolled her eyes, but was secretly pleased that Krista wanted to do something like this. They hadn't been all that fluffy in a long while and this felt somewhat familiar.

The freckled demon-born leaned forward and wrapped her lips around Krista's spoon. She pulled the desert into her mouth and then licked the spoon as she straightened in her seat. Krista blushed and quickly scooped some more to hold it out again. This time Ymir wordlessly ate from her spoon.

They locked eyes then, flushed blue with uncertain brown. Ymir was enjoying herself, but she was scared of doing something wrong. Krista looked half frightened and half excited. A sharp blush coloured her cheeks. Ymir's own heart was beating unevenly in her chest.

All at once the playful mood was shattered when, somewhere behind Krista, a man's voice broke through their space.

"Gross."

Krista stiffened when Ymir did, and the blonde's heart began to pound for a completely different reason.

"See those ugly tattoos?" the man said to his friend. "Wouldn't fuck her if she asked."

Ymir knew they were talking about her. She glanced at them over Krista's head and saw their leering gazes.

Krista began to tremble. "Ymir, let's go."

"What's the hottie even doing with that shemale? Bet she'd enjoy a good fuck from a real man."

They were whispering to each other, glancing over at Krista while they did. If they were aware that Ymir could hear them, then they showed no inclination.

Ymir's hand tightened around the spoon between her fingers and she fixed her burning gaze on the men. Suddenly a burning desire ripped through her and flashing images burned across her eyes. She saw blood and flesh all spraying ever her face and it sent a tingle through her body.

In that instant her eyes changed to red and black and Krista's heart leaped into her throat. She felt an intense desire to get up and run as far away as she could. Would Ymir go crazy here? What would it be like to watch her this time? Krista did not want to know. Her imagination had given her plenty of horrid images already.

"Ymir…" Krista said softly, voice shaking.

Ymir ignored her. The men finally glanced her way and noticed her stare. They also startled badly at the strangeness of her eyes, and of the pure malice in them. Ymir stood immediately, nostrils flaring. She was about to take a step away from the table but suddenly Krista shot up too and spread her arms out between Ymir and the men.

"NO!" Krista screamed in fear. "Don't hurt them!"

Ymir snapped out of it immediately and looked at her blonde companion. Usually she would be backing Ymir up while quietly urging her to calm down. Normally it would work and Ymir would ignore them. But now Krista was shielding them from Ymir, face open with fear and chest heaving with it. Ymir's gut filled with pain when she saw the terror in Krista's eyes directed at her.

Krista still feared her. Of course she still feared her. How could she not?

Ymir wordlessly left the café then, hurrying back to the hotel. As she walked into the room that they shared she began to throw her clothes and personal items into her bag. In one hand she held a phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"I need you to come right now."

XxX

A few hours later Krista sat quietly on the hotel couch. She had her arms wrapped around her legs that were pulled up against her chest.

How could she have done that? She had seen the hurt flash over Ymir's face. But the memory of seeing those eyes again reminded her of the blood and malice and she had to cover her face with both hands. She hated that her memory of Ymir's eyes now represented death in her mind.

Ymir had been silent as well. She spent a while in the bathroom when Krista had returned and then quietly tossed Krista's bag to her.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she had asked.

"Pack. We're leaving." Ymir had said.

Krista had obeyed and quickly packed her bag. She neatened the room and then took to sitting, waiting since Ymir didn't seem to be moving anytime soon. She was sitting by the table, arms crossed on top of it and head resting against them. Was she sleeping or thinking?

Krista wanted to know. She was too scared to ask. If Ymir was mad at her, if she saw anger directed at her from those eyes she couldn't help but fear, then she wouldn't know what to do.

Krista's heart was breaking and she was the one doing it. A constant battle raged on in her head. She wanted so badly to reverse what had happened and to see Ymir the way she had before. She still loved Ymir. Of course she still loved her. She wanted to comfort her and stick to her side.

She had meant it when she said that she was on Ymir's side no matter what. The only question was if Ymir would have enough patience for Krista to get over her own issues. It had been so easy up until now to look at Ymir's anguished face and still find every bit of perfection in it. Why was she struggling now?

Reality was so much harsher than she had imagined.

There was a knock on the door, startling Krista out of her thoughts. She was surprised by it, because no one would visit them. But Ymir didn't seem surprised. She stood and calmly made her way over to the door. Krista followed behind her.

Immense confusion and worry clouded over Krista's face when Ymir opened the door and Nanaba stood at the other side. The tall blonde looked tired and upset. She didn't say a word, but Krista did.

"H-how did you find us? Why are you here?"

Ymir turned to give her a look so full of sadness that Krista swallowed a sudden lump from her throat. The brunette retrieved the small blonde's bag and then handed it over to Nanaba.

"Apologise to her parents for me."

Krista felt confused. Were they going back? What was Nanaba even doing here?

"Y-Ymir? If you wanted to go back you could have just—"

"I never said that I'm coming with you," Ymir stated softly. She looked at Krista and didn't even flinch at the hurt she saw there.

"You called Nanaba to take me back?" Ymir nodded. "But why?" There was no response. "Ymir!" Krista rushed to Ymir's side and clutched at her shirt. "What happened to us not leaving each other? Where will you go? I don't want to leave you!"

"You are scared of me."

Nanaba's eyes widened slightly by the doorway but she did not comment. More than anything she wanted to yell at Ymir to come back too, but she couldn't. Ymir wouldn't come with and she knew that. The brunette had warned her not to even ask. Nanaba had already informed Krista's parents that she had gone to fetch her. They were beyond relieved.

"I… I am!" Krista admitted. "But it's okay! I said I'm on your side. I'll get over it! How can you even think of getting me to leave you? Who else do you have? You need me Ymir."_ I need you. I can't be without you. Please, don't do this._

"Krista…" Nanaba spoke gently from the doorway. "Ymir has made her choice. Please come with me. Your parents are worried sick."

Krista ignored Nanaba. Instead she stared at Ymir who was staring right back. The brunette looked sad, defeated.

"Ymir, please. Please don't do this. We can work everything out together. Don't get rid of me." Krista's eyes filled with tears. "I love you, doesn't that mean anything?"

Suddenly Ymir lifted her arm and placed a hand atop Krista's head. The action halted Krista's tears and pleas. _Be yourself for once. Be you without me,_ she thought.

"Goen'a," is what she said.

Krista didn't understand the language. She didn't know what it meant. All she could understand was that it was the last thing Ymir would say to her and her chest tightened. Ymir was looking at her with so much sadness. Ymir looked lost—like she had just given away the last bit of her light.

"Take her," Ymir said to Nanaba. She turned her back when Nanaba obeyed and quickly wrapped her arms around Krista's chest. Luckily the smaller blonde was exactly that—small. She was light enough to completely lift off of the ground, and even though she started to kick and scream, Nanaba held on tight. She spared a single glance towards Ymir and then carried Krista to her car.

"Ymir, you promised!" Krista yelled between sobs. "You said you'd stay!"

Ymir laughed once and then she kicked the door shut behind her. She could feel Krista's anguished and betrayed cries reverberate through her entire body.

"Goodbye Krista," Ymir whispered to herself. "Maybe one day we can meet again and stand side-by-side, worthy of each other."

Tears streaked across her face and Ymir collapsed against the ground. Her marks began to ache, as well as her heart, and a stream of blood dripped from her chin. It mingled with her tears.

_This is the only way,_ she told herself. _Krista needs to define herself without me. I need to function on my own. I'll only hurt her._

It would be a while until she fully believed it.

XxX

It took a solid three days for Ymir to eventually build up the nerve to leave the hotel room and check out. During the entire time she had second guessed her decision and had even almost called Nanaba back to request that she return and fetch her too, or bring Krista back. When she had been close to calling Ymir smashed the phone to stop herself.

Hanji's note hung heavily on her conscience and it was the only thing keeping her emotions in check. She focused on the fact that there was a possible solution to her problems. If this person could really solve her issues then she could return to Krista as a normal person.

Ymir followed the note and was too distracted by her thoughts to really realize that it was the same place as in her dream. She found herself lost in the mall and eventually had to follow the scent. It was only when she stepped in the plaza and caught sight of a woman that looked like Hanji that she froze in absolute terror.

Ymir glanced down at her wrist. The marks were there, she was at the right location during the right time of day. She even had the same note as in her dream, and just like the recent one had foretold, she was alone.

How had Ymir not noticed?

Ymir tried to turn and run back the way she came, but the black mass flashed past her like it had in her dreams and the nightmare was becoming a reality. Ymir felt the sharp prick of a needle stabbing into her heart and injecting something lethal into her veins. It was this that ceased her heart and caused her to fall.

The brunette couldn't stop herself from falling and shut her eyes before she even hit the ground.

This was it. Whatever that person had done to her would trigger the end of mankind and Ymir would destroy everything. For the first time in three days Ymir was glad for her decision to send Krista away, and then she coughed up large amounts of blood and waited for the pain of hitting the floor.

It didn't come, and Ymir felt the prick of another needle, this one larger. A new substance filled her veins and arms circled her body.

"Shit," the person said. "They got here first. I'm so sorry Ymir. Just hang in there; I'm getting you out of here."

Ymir's body convulsed as whatever had been forced into her body waged a war for control. She felt blood fill her mouth and was glad that the person tipped her head to the side to drain it. Before she could feel the soft leather of a car seat against her cheek, Ymir's mind blanked and her body went still.


	5. Chapter 5

**There is no playlist for chapter V.**

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><p><strong>V<strong>

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><p>There was an irritating sensation prickling along her body, starting at her arm. When Ymir came to she was disorientated, in pain. She struggled to breathe and heard the rasps of her own breath.<p>

Was she dead? Was this the dark abyss of her lost mind, forced to endure eons as her outer shell wreaked havoc upon the modern world?

It was dark, that much was definite—quiet. For once there were no nightmares of what was to come. Ymir felt oddly at ease, and she decided that if this was either death or the cage of her mind, then it felt a hell of a lot better than reality. But that was only her mind.

Meanwhile her body fought a raging war.

Ymir had no idea where she was. She attempted to move but it proved fruitless. Her body felt heavy, like her bones themselves weighed a ton. She opened her mouth, trying to speak. Barely a sound left her lips, but there was a flurry of activity around her and then she felt a hand press to her forehead.

All at once Ymir realized that she was neither dead nor suspended in her subconscious. This realization sent a crippling fear down her spine. Firstly, what had been done to her and where had she been taken? The most frightening of her situation was that she could barely move. This left her too vulnerable.

Ymir began to panic and she felt hot fire surge through her veins as her heart rate rose and she struggled.

"Ymir, calm down," someone calmly said to her side. The voice was gentle and smooth, the timbre husky and drowned out by Ymir's own panic. It sounded familiar yet it did not calm her racing heart. "Damnit Ymir, calm down or you'll kill yourself!"

There was complete honesty and worry there, which abated Ymir's utter panic for now. She still continued struggling, fingers insistently twitching.

The person sighed. "Look, relax for now. Go back to sleep. The drugs are still fighting inside of you and it will be painful. I have someone on the way, someone that can stop this war inside of your body. If you go back to sleep they'll be back when you wake. Can you do that?"

Ymir tried to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt heavy, like she'd never opened them before and never would again. It was a scary sensation, but with a heavy struggle Ymir managed to force them open a crack. Her vision was bleary and not nearly clear enough to make out the face in front of her. All she could see was a mesh of brown colours.

"Wh…" Ymir's voice sounded like a croak, her throat dry. She licked the inside of her mouth and would have cringed if she could—her mouth tasted stale and felt numb, filled with cotton.

"Here," the person softly said. The tone set Ymir's panic further to ease. She felt an arm slip underneath her shoulders and startled slightly when she was lifted. Coldness touched her lips and then she realized that it was a glass. The glass tipped slowly and heavenly liquid pressed against Ymir's lips. She opened them and relished in the water washing the sour taste from her mouth, as well as the cotton dryness. "Alright, go back to sleep. It'll get better, I promise." The person put the glass down and then gingerly rested Ymir back down. They gently caressed Ymir's cheek and sighed. "I still can't believe after all this time…" the person left the sentence hanging and stood.

Ymir suddenly felt like she knew the voice, so she forced her eyes open again and willed her vision to clear. Her eyes attempted to focus on the form of the person standing nearby. Ymir could make out a faint profile, but it was enough to make the rest of her fears fade.

"Hanji…" Ymir managed to rasp before she succumbed to the pounding of her head and fell back into the nothingness.

XxX

When she woke again, as Hanji had promised, she could move. Most of the awful sensations had faded. Ymir's mouth still felt dry but no longer numb, and the prickle along her skin had dwindled significantly. She still felt like shit, but a lot less shit.

The room was quiet except for the soft footsteps to Ymir's left. Now that she had some of her strength back Ymir managed to get herself sitting up, and blinked her eyes open. She had to rub them with a fist a few times, and then she sat up completely and kept a firm hand on the back of the couch that she had apparently been half dead on all this time.

A look out the window indicated that it was pitch black outside—midnight? How long had she been out?

Ymir found a fresh glass of water on the table beside her and quickly downed it. When she was done she noticed Hanji staring at her.

"Feeling better?" the brunette woman asked.

Ymir nodded lamely and then put the glass back down on the table. She attempted to stand, but Hanji had to rush to her side before she fell and cracked her head open.

"Whoa, you won't really be able to walk for a while. Just sit for now until our guest arrives."

"What happened?" Ymir's voice, unlike earlier, was clearer and firmer. It still sounded strained, but not as much. This made Ymir feel better.

Hanji chuckled and then plopped down beside Ymir. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned, limbs clicking into place. She sighed after dropping her arms to her sides. Ymir noticed the circles underneath her eyes, and they were made more obvious when the woman removed her glasses to rub at her eyes. She was tired.

"It's a long story Ymir," Hanji said. "I think I should wait for our guest. She should be here really soon." Hanji glanced down at her watch. "Actually, I expected her to be here already." She grinned and then shook her head. "Do you need anything? The bathroom? Food?"

Ymir rubbed a shaky hand over her face and shook her head. At the moment she just felt tired, but the thought of sleeping again wasn't all that appealing. More than anything she wanted to understand what had happened and what had been done to her. It hadn't even occurred to Ymir that she should be upset. For now all she could feel was relief that she was still alive and that Hanji still seemed like a friendly. But then she suddenly remembered something.

"It was you!" She scrambled away, as much as she could, and pointed an unsteady finger. "You… you told me to meet you and then you did something." She pressed a hand to her heart and remembered the pain of a needle piercing it. The feeling afterwards had been beyond awful. "What did you do to me?"

Hanji shook her head. "That wasn't me," she said levelly. "It was… it'll be too long to explain it. Just wait a little longer and then I can go into full detail. Ymir, do you want to know who you really are? What you really are? Who you belong to?"

Ymir's brows furrowed. "What… who I belong to?"

Hanji chuckled. "A strange way to word it, I know." She stood and went over to the kitchen counter where she had been before noticing Ymir had awakened. The kettle was already boiled so she poured a cup of coffee for herself and Ymir. When she sat beside the teen again and offered the mug, Ymir only stared at it.

"Oh come on, it's just coffee. You'll need it. We have a hell of a lot of explaining to do."

Ymir eyed Hanji and the mug carefully, and then she took it and whispered a 'thanks'. Her mind wouldn't stop racing, thinking about her dream and how it had almost come true. Nothing made sense. Everything from when Krista had left had stopped making sense.

Suddenly thinking of Krista dampened Ymir's mood and she frowned down into the brown murkiness of her coffee. Had it really been a good idea?

"It was the right choice," Hanji spoke up carefully, as if she had read Ymir's mind—she hadn't, but she had seen the brunette's sudden heartbroken expression. "The way you are now Ymir, there is no way you won't kill her in your rage. She will do better away from you for now. I think you need a break too." Hanji readjusted her glasses. "From what I observed you had a very unhealthy relationship with each other. Dependence is not a pretty thing with young and fragile relationships."

Ymir felt mad. "I don't need you lecturing me," she growled. Of all the things she did not want Hanji to say these things to her. She wasn't even sure if Hanji was an enemy yet. Was there really a person on their way? Who was it and why was Hanji adamant about waiting for them? It sounded and felt suspicious and if Ymir had the strength she would have bolted for the window already.

Hanji sipped thoughtfully on her coffee, and then there was sudden banging on the door and the specialist physically startled.

"Hanji open this damn door right this goddamn minute or I'll rip it off its hinges!" someone yelled from the other side. The tone sounded hurried and upset and a sinking feeling filled Ymir's stomach.

Hanji cast Ymir a look and then she went over to the door. Not even a second after opening the door a large, lanky figure burst in and suddenly Hanji was lifted from the floor and slammed into the door, now shut behind her. Hanji didn't look scared at all.

"Where is she?" the person demanded, chest heaving.

Ymir was watching with worry and she quickly put the cup down on the table. She managed to stand and backed away until the window where she gripped onto the curtain and waited. Ymir suddenly felt sick.

Hanji merely lifted an arm and pointed right at Ymir. "She's there. Calm down. See? You scared her already."

Hanji was dropped back onto her feet and then the stranger turned suddenly.

Ymir had never felt so disoriented in her entire life, not even like she had earlier. The face staring at her now, it was… it was almost identical to her own. How was this possible? How could this person look so much like her?

The woman stood tall and proud, shoulders set back and head held high. Though her chest still heaved, she looked more shocked now than anything. Her deeply tanned skin paled and she looked like a deer caught in headlights. Ymir must have looked the same way, and Hanji wanted to laugh when she noted that the both of them looked as if they wanted to bolt from the room.

"Is this really her?" the woman asked.

Hanji grabbed at her hair and groaned. "For god's sake Amir, look at her! If she had your black hair she'd be your clone!"

The woman, now identified as Amir, sent a cold stare over to Hanji. "Fuck you!" she suddenly yelled. "You fucking found her and you send me all the way to goddamn nowhere? How long has it been since you knew, huh?"

Hanji had the decency to look guilty. "About three weeks, at most."

Amir's face flushed with anger. "You…" she swallowed her words and then took deep, even breaths. "I will forgive you in light of finding her. If you'd let her get away…." The sentence was left hanging, and Hanji clearly understood the threat.

"Okay, I get it! Chill out. Now please, introduce yourself to Ymir because she looks really sick right now."

Amir turned sharply and the colour drained from her face. Ymir's eyes were changing and she was struggling with her body. In her fear she had instinctively attempted to defend herself by changing, and now her horns were breaking skin and she felt the blood climbing her throat.

"Wh-what do I do?" Amir shouted, panicked.

"Go to her!" Hanji yelled backed. She seemed exasperated enough to slap the woman upside the head. "Jesus, you're just like each other! There is absolutely no way that Ymir isn't the right one."

Amir swallowed nervously and then she walked over towards Ymir, hands in front of her. She still looked pale, exhausted and unsure and it made Ymir panic. However, something in those familiar brown eyes stilled her heart and even if she wanted to she wouldn't have been able to move.

"Um…" Amir paused in front of her, so unsure that it was becoming painful. Instead of speaking further she lifted a hand and gently touched Ymir's face. Both of them startled and Amir seemed shocked at the warmth underneath her fingertips. Emotions suddenly washed over her face—elation and relief and sorrow. "It…" Amir said. "It's really you…" Her hard eyes welled up, and then heavy tears streaked over her freckled cheeks. Suddenly she was hugging Ymir, sobbing against her shoulder and clutching tightly to her body.

Ymir didn't understand why, but her changing stopped and her body relaxed. Instead of struggling out of the hold she relaxed into it.

"This is…" Amir gasped out between sobs. "Only the second time that I've held you since you were born," she said. The tears came harder now and Hanji was forced to pull her away and force Amir to sit down on the couch, least she make them tip over and fall.

Ymir still stood by the curtains, face contorted in confusion. Her heart was thudding, and she had yet to understand why.

"Get a hold of yourself," Hanji advised. "We need to explain things to her."

"You're such an insensitive bastard, you know that?" Amir growled at her. "I finally find my daughter and you tell me to _get a hold of myself_?" Amir shook her head and then wiped the tears from her face.

Ymir's entire body felt like it had drained of warmth. It felt numb and frozen, and then all at once feeling came rushing back and Ymir stumbled. She slid down onto the floor, staring at her bare feet.

What the hell was going on? Her chest swelled and ached and then anger began to climb up her spine and she had fucking enough.

"Can you," Ymir started, sitting up, "Please do me the honour," she continued, now onto her knees, "of fucking explaining," she then stumbled back onto her feet and approached the two on the couch. "What the fuck is fucking going on?!" she roared. The fire burnt as deep red and black in her eyes and Ymir bared her teeth threateningly.

"First," she continued. "You approach me after I fucking massacre six innocent people and then you give me this stupid idea of leaving Krista. Do you realize what I did? I fucking left her. I sent her back like I don't need her anymore!" Ymir's chest began to ache further. "She… she was the only thing that kept this monster inside of me from destroying everything! And now you're here talking nonsense and people are injecting shit into my body?"

The anger was maddening. Ymir felt the urge to break something, so she bounded forward and then flipped the couch that wasn't occupied. She growled demonically and then went for the table, but powerful arms encircled her and she couldn't move.

"Calm down," a voice spoke into her ear. It was absurd how quickly Ymir's anger disappeared in the wake of that voice. "Hanji, what the hell happened?" Amir stared over Ymir's bowed head at Hanji. She could feel the smaller brunette tremble in her arms.

Hanji rubbed at her brow. "Well you see, a lot. I was about to explain it. Actually, take a seat and let's tell Ymir everything. Please? I haven't slept in three days and I'm ready to collapse at any second."

Amir acquiesced and guided Ymir towards the couch. She carefully let her sit and then took a seat beside her. Ymir made no move to speak or move. Her marks were beginning to ache and she suddenly felt a deep urge to throw up. Her body was reacting to her anger again, and she wasn't sure how bad it would be this time.

"Okay, where shall we start?" Hanji asked. No one answered so she sighed. "Amir I think you should explain the beginning and I'll take over."

Amir seemed nervous but she accepted with a nod and then scooted to the edge of the couch and turned her body towards Ymir. She resisted the urge to grin at the similar face looking wearily at her. Those eyes had just as much fire.

"18 years ago," Amir began. "I was gifted with the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen. She was planned, of course. I remember how excited I was when I found out that my wife was pregnant. We were such saps back then." Ymir's throat felt tight but she continued to listen. "When my daughter was born, it was during the night-time. We had to find a secure location for the birth, but it wasn't secure enough." Sudden, deep sadness overtook Amir's eyes and she had to pause before she could carry on. "After being born I held her," she said and held her hands out as if she was holding an infant. "She was so small. She wouldn't stop crying. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. I cried with her for ten minutes straight when I held her." Amir smiled fondly at the memory. "That was the first time I ever held my child, and then she was snatched from me." A dark, murderous look crossed her face and that was apparently Hanji's cue to talk.

"If you haven't guessed yet, you're that child Ymir." Hanji gestured towards Amir. "That is your biological parent; your father, to be exact."

Ymir looked pale but she merely nodded, wanting the story to continue.

"As Amir said, you were snatched twenty minutes after you were born. Now, I need to explain the history of our bloodline before explaining who was behind your kidnapping. Or else it won't make sense.

"See, we are demons. That much you know. We are just normal creatures like the rest, though we have two forms. Every tenth generation one is born of the Lucifarian bloodline and holds the astounding ability to end the world. The thing is, there is no rule that this child _must _bring about the end. She can have her power sealed from birth and live an entirely normal life. Some tenth-born weren't even aware of being the most powerful demon in ten generations.

"It is only one specific bloodline that carries that gene, and Amir just so happens to be the ninth descendant. That makes you, Ymir, the tenth. Therefore you were born with more power than your body can handle. The plan was to use Amir's blood to seal up your power. Amir, show her your marks."

Amir wordlessly obeyed and lifted her shirt. There, right where her heart was a small mark sat. It was similar to Ymir's, but much, much tinier. There were only five black veins that extended on her skin, and each was only a centimetre long. Ymir's eyes widened when she saw it.

"Each Lucifarian descendant bares the mark. This is how we know. You have it since birth. Now, there is a group of us demons that have grown rather cynical in the last ten generations. They started a group called the Illuminus, where they plan to unleash the ultimate demon on the world to destroy it. This is you. When you were born a group of demons ambushed us. I tried to get you back but they were too organized and we were too caught off-guard. They were gone. We followed their trail for days but then it suddenly vanished. We had no idea what they intended to do with you, but the main idea was obvious." Hanji reached over to pat Amir on the shoulder.

"Amir and Damian, your mother, were devastated. I don't think Damian spoke for a full month after that."

Amir nodded solemnly. "Not even to me. She let me comfort her, but would never speak. It was a mission to get her to talk."

"So the three of us have spent eighteen years searching for you, Ymir. Where were you all this time? What did you go through?"

Ymir swallowed and nervously glanced from Amir to Hanji. This was all entirely too much to take in. This was her real parent? Her father? It made no real sense yet and would take a while to really sink in for Ymir. For now she just allowed the information to set and then she would feel the emotions later.

"Um," she spoke, unsure. Should she share her past with these two? Was it wise? She had no other choice, really, and no other option. Amir's imploring gaze also guided her towards deciding that she could tell them.

A large part of Ymir was flabbergasted. She wanted to laugh in their face and hop off back to Krista. The other part desperately wanted this person to be her parent. During her entire childhood Ymir had always yearned for her parents. She had always wondered where they were. For the youngest of her days she had never held a heavy anger towards them, but then as she grew older and the troubles of her blood bore down on her, she began to feel hatred towards the parents that she could only see in her imagination.

_Why did they throw me away?_

It was a question Ymir had always asked herself until she stopped caring.

Finally, after a long while of deliberation, Ymir shrugged and then gripped the fabric of her pants between her fingers. She inhaled tightly, and then spoke after her exhale.

"Apparently I was found in a dumpster by a group of teenagers in Malia. I was taken to a hospital and then put into foster care. When I was four I was adopted for the first time, but I started to change and I was quickly dropped back into the system. For years it went like that until eventually, when I entered highschool I was adopted into a normal family. They were told that I have mental problems, but they took me in anyway. I lived with them until I left with Krista a few weeks ago. Everything went to shit after that."

It wasn't as detailed an explanation as the two adults had wanted, but it would do.

Amir was visibly shaking and she had to resist the urge to rampage like Ymir had done earlier. She felt such intense sorrow and grief that her own baby had to go through so much suffering.

"I'm sorry," Amir muttered. She turned her face to Ymir, eyes full of tears again. "We had never wanted anything more than we wanted you. Having you was the best decision we had ever made. We never intended for you to go through all of this. Please believe me, Ymir. I've been searching so long just to be able to hold you again." She hiccupped and then pressed her hands against her face. "Your childhood has been robbed from me—your first word, first walk. I was not there to comfort you or read you stories at night." She seemed so choked up that Hanji awkwardly laid down on top of her bent form and stroked her back.

"Amir, you're breaking down in front of Ymir."

"It's okay," Ymir said softly.

Amir shook Hanji off and then chuckled. "I never imagined that you would look so much like me." She reached out and ruffled Ymir's short brown hair. "But you have your mother's brown hair, and her nose." Amir smiled genuinely for the first time since stepping through the door. "Your skin isn't as dark as mine," she observed. "But damn we could be twins."

Ymir couldn't warm up to the lighter mood. She felt sick to her stomach. Her mind was racing, as was her heart.

"Um," she spoke up. "Is there somewhere I can throw up?"

Amir's eyes filled with concern. "What's wrong?"

Ymir waved her hand and sighed. "When I get angry my body reacts by losing a lot of blood. I puke it all up. Actually, I'm gonna—" Ymir couldn't control it and bent over to spill blood all over the floor in front of her. Her body convulsed and tears collected at her eyes.

"I think that's enough information for now," Hanji said. "She should get some rest before we perform the ritual."

Amir nodded and pressed a hand to Ymir's back. She felt helpless, like she had eighteen years ago. It was still such a shock for her to compare that crying, adorable infant to this grown, troubled teenager in front of her.

It hurt so badly.

"Come here." Amir pulled Ymir into her arms and then she stood. Blood still spilled from the brunette's mouth and she attempted to struggle.

"No, the blood—"

"I don't care," Amir said with determination. "I owe you everything for the suffering you've endured. A little blood is nothing."

Ymir coughed violently and clutched at Amir's shirt. She couldn't stop herself from pressing her face to the woman's chest and inhaling her scent. It eased the pain.

Amir placed Ymir down on the bed after carrying her into the nearest room and then she pressed a hand to her forehead. "Shit, your temperature is high. Hanji! Can you get a cloth and some cold water in here?"

Hanji popped into the room, items already in her hands. "I'm ahead of you. Need any help?" She placed the objects on the bedside table and then leaned into Amir.

"No, I'll take over. She's my kid."

Hanji smiled and then she yawned. "Wake me if anything happens. When morning comes we can perform the ritual and seal this power once and for all. Before those Illuminus idiots show up." Hanji waved over her shoulder and then disappeared from the room.

Silence fell over them, only broken by Ymir's laboured breathing and the sound of the cloth dipping into cold water. Ymir was grateful for the coolness against her skin, and she was suddenly reminded of when Krista had done this for her. Her heart hurt.

Ymir tried to move away and swatted Amir's hand away from her face. "No," she said. "You don't have to help me."

Amir frowned and then dropped the cloth into the bowl. "I'm sorry. This is a lot for you to take in, isn't it?" Ymir's only response was a nod. "I always imagined this going differently… Jesus, I'm so fucking awkward that it isn't even funny."

Ymir shifted slightly. "Are you really my father?"

Amir gently pulled Ymir over onto her back. "Last time I checked, yeah. Have you seen my face? It's like Hanji says." She stood and forced Ymir into a sitting position. "Come on, get out of this. It's full of blood." She pulled the shirt off, receiving no resistance, and then paused when she noticed the marks. Amir suddenly dropped the shirt and then she ran a finger over the marks above Ymir's heart. "How is this even possible…?"

Ymir felt shy and angry, humiliated and embarrassed all at once. "What?" she asked harshly.

Amir climbed onto the bed beside her and pressed a hand against her back by a collection of black veins. "By the looks of it, those people from Illuminus did something to you when they took you. The marks are never supposed to grow this much. They'd grow larger than mine for you, yeah, but not this much. Mine took until I hit twenty to finish developing."

Ymir's eyes burnt. She was so tired. She was tired of being tired. This new information felt like more added to the heap. "Meaning?"

"Meaning that something has been going on with your body for a long time. This isn't natural. I'll get Hanji on it tomorrow. How are you feeling?"

"Like shit."

Amir grimaced. "I'll have to get used to you swearing."

Ymir managed a dry laugh. "I won't stop swearing for you. I don't even know you."

Amir paused suddenly and stared down at her lap. "I know. I hope we can get to know each other, though. I want to know who my daughter grew into. I still love you. I've loved you since before you were born, and I still do now."

Amir's touch on Ymir's shoulder was filled with so much warmth. It reminded Ymir of the warmth Krista often gave her. The sensation this time was stronger and more consuming.

Ymir collapsed on the bed and then curled into a ball. "I don't know what to make of what you told me. But can you really fix me?"

Amir scratched her cheek. "We can. The ritual won't take more than ten minutes. Go to sleep and tomorrow we'll sort it out. Will you be okay until then?"

Ymir nervously nodded. Amir felt like she wasn't needed, so she decided to leave the room with a heavy heart. She was surprised when a hand grabbed a hold of her sleeve instead.

"Could you stay?" Ymir asked softly. "Not because I believe you're my father, but… I could puke in my sleep or something."

Amir grinned when she realized that Ymir had inherited her lying skills from her; which meant that they were non-existent.

"Sure, yeah." Amir was more than eager to re-join Ymir's side and then retrieve the cloth to run it over her shoulder. "You're safe now, Ymir. I promise it. When you wake up we'll fix everything."

Ymir wanted so badly to believe it and she fell asleep with absolutely no dreams; a welcomed change for once.

XxX

Ymir woke many hours later. The sun had already broken through the sky and sunlight now poured into the room. Sprawled out on the bed, Ymir lifted her head and glanced out of the window. When she woke she had been confused, but then she remembered everything and an unsettling weight pulled her heart down.

Thinking of Amir made Ymir frown.

How was she supposed to handle all of this? Her mind and heart were struggling. Her heart wanted to believe while her mind argued against it. In the end Ymir sighed and ran a hand over her face. She would have to allow her thoughts to settle another time. For now, while she was still feeling relatively okay, she should focus on finding the two adults and getting them to seal her power. If they could really do it then Ymir would consider everything Amir had said to her.

She did not want her life to become more complicated than it already was, though she felt that in the end she would have no choice.

Ymir stumbled out of the bedroom with dishevelled hair. She ran a hand through it and nervously ventured down the hallway. The lounge was empty but sounds emanated from the kitchen, so Ymir headed there.

Standing by the stove was Amir, with an apron around her front and a spatula in her hand. Hanji sat by the table with a newspaper in her hands, glasses perched on her nose and a frown on her lips. She smiled when she noticed Ymir and set the paper down on the table. Amir was humming something under her breath.

"What is that?" Ymir asked before saying anything else. She couldn't understand it, but whatever Amir was humming felt familiar. Was it maybe a song she'd heard on the radio? It was bothering her.

Amir, unsurprised with Ymir's arrival, glanced over her shoulder with furrowed brows. "What?"

"That song you're humming," Ymir supplied. She felt the urge to bite her tongue in irritation. "What song is it?"

Amir barked a laugh. "Something I wrote when I was about your age. I could play the piano, you know." The black-haired woman suddenly paused. "I used to play for your mother when she was pregnant with you."

Ymir felt uncomfortable and shifted her weight onto the front of her feet. "Oh," she said. She did not allude to the fact that she recognized it and simply went to sit by Hanji. "So when do we fix me?"

Amir sighed heavily and continued being the cook. "You aren't broken," she said. "The power you have is rightfully yours by birth. It's just too dangerous right now. I spoke to Hanji about your marks and she wants to test your blood before we perform the ritual." She plated something and then turned with three plates expertly balanced on her arms. When she placed one down in front of Hanji, the brunette woman leaned forward and grinned at Ymir. Her eyes looked half crazed.

"They must've injected you with the same stuff that they did yesterday. You are not supposed to feel sick or vomit blood. I need to first see what they did to you and then come up with a way to get rid of it. Only then, when we know your life isn't in any danger, we can perform the ritual and seal your power."

Ymir glanced down at her plate. It was filled with flapjacks coated in syrup. They looked delicious and suddenly Ymir's stomach growled.

"How long will it take?"

Hanji chewed on her food carefully. "Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. Could be more depending on what they put inside you."

Amir watched their exchange carefully. "Do you think whatever they did is irreversible?" she asked, her voice filled with worry. Her gaze echoed even more.

Ymir sent her a glance and couldn't help the warmth that washed over her. She suddenly felt cared for, and it was as odd as it was sudden. Even though the person seated beside her, despite sharing a startling resemblance, was a stranger, she felt oddly connected to her. It was almost as if Ymir knew her personally.

"Honestly? It shouldn't be, but my tests will tell us all we need to know."

"When we're ready," Amir said to Hanji. "We should head out for Anna."

Ymir's fork suddenly dropped to her plate. "What? That's at the tip of the country!"

Amir grinned. "Did I mention you coming with?" She seemed greatly pleased that the smaller brunette had assumed so.

Ymir suddenly flushed and swallowed. "N-no… I just… what if the ritual fucks up or something?" She stared down hard at her half eaten food. "I'd have no one else to help me."

Hanji clucked her tongue. "Amir, stop giving her a hard time."

Amir laughed and then ruffled Ymir's hair. "You will come with us Ymir. We have to find your mother and teach you how to control your other form."

Ymir growled in annoyance and leaned away from the large hand messing her hair. "Stop doing that!"

Amir rolled her eyes. "It's a gesture of affection."

"I don't even know you!" She suddenly stood from her chair and glared straight at Hanji. "I don't know either of you. For all I know you're both lying and I'm sending myself to the slaughter house!"

Regret filled her chest; painful regret crushing down on her heart. She should never have left Malia, should never have left Krista. Suddenly all that she wanted was to see Krista and to hear her voice. Was she okay? Had she gotten into trouble when she arrived at home?

Amir's chair clattered to the ground as she stood. She stormed over to a drawer, pulled something out and then stopped in front of Ymir.

Ymir's heart lurched in panic when she saw the shine of a kitchen knife, but then she sputtered when it was thrust into her hand and Amir forced Ymir to hold the blade to her throat.

"Under the proud name of Amir, I swear to you that all I have said is nothing but the truth. You are my daughter, Ymir. I have been searching for you all your life. Now that I found you, I want to bring you back to your mother so that we can finally be the family that we dreamed of. Look into my eyes and if you see just a glimmer of mistruth, then cut my throat right now. If I'm lying, then you have the right to take my life."

Her eyes were now like a shimmering pool of desperate black and red. It was the first time Ymir had ever seen anything other than rage in demon eyes. How was it possible to look so gentle with the colours of death?

Amir let Ymir's hand go and spread her arms out to her sides. She stared deeply into Ymir's eyes, begging her to believe. She was so frightened that this chance would slip through her fingers and the child she had yearned for, for such a long time would want nothing to do with her.

_What will it take?_ Amir thought. _What will it take for you to see me as your father?_

Hanji watched the drama unfold without saying a word. She knew Amir's tendency to be overdramatic, but she felt that this was something that Ymir needed. The teen had to decide if she wanted to stay and believe them or leave thinking they were liars.

Ymir's own eyes clouded over. She felt her marks begin to burn but she did not lower the knife. It took all of her willpower not to look to the ground to avoid Amir's open gaze. There was nothing but hope there; love and understanding and sadness. Amir was being truthful. There was no way she was lying. Ymir could see it, but still she tried to deny it in her heart.

Hesitantly, Ymir dropped her hand and then let the knife fall to the ground. She allowed her emotions to sweep her up and clenched her fist hard to slam it against Amir's chest.

"My whole life," she said shakily, "I felt unwanted and useless." She pounded Amir's chest again. "I thought my parents had abandoned me." Her teeth clenched. "Other kids made fun of my height and intimidating appearance. I hated my parents for the genes that they gave me." Tears built at the corner of her eyes and she sucked in a deep breath. Now she clenched both hands and pounded them against Amir's chest. "Why didn't you find me sooner?! Why did I have to feel like a fucking failure for simply breathing?!" This time the tears spilled over and dripped from her chin. "Where were you when I cried myself to sleep at night?"

Amir finally stopped Ymir's frenzied fists by catching them. She had her own tears pouring down her face. With a shuddering breath she pulled Ymir against her and wrapped her in the tightest hug she could.

"I'll tell you where I was," she said. "I was using every resource I had to track that group down. I was driving to every damn town that had the slightest lead. I was leaving my devastated wife to search for my child. When I gave up a year into it, we decided to try again. I was desperate to fill the void but we were not as lucky a second time. Our kind is only allowed one child. Yet we still tried. Eventually we gave up too, and my wife left me to search for you. While she was gone, while you cried, I spent endless hours looking for you. I was using all the energy I had to locating my goddamn daughter so that I could just hold her one more time. So that I could see that beautiful brown gaze and feel those small hands wrap around my finger."

Ymir choked on her tears. Never had she felt such intense emotion before. She felt embarrassed about her tears and hid them by pressing her face against Amir's chest.

"I always thought about you. I wrote letters for you. I sent out silent prayers to you. I hoped with all my heart that I would find you." Amir pulled Ymir in even tighter and sniffed loudly when she felt Ymir grab a hold of her shirt. "I'm so fucking sorry for failing you like I did." Her tears became trembles in her voice. "I'm so sorry for everything. I vow to make it up to you. If you tell me to take my life right now to compensate, I'd do it without hesitation."

Ymir managed to snort. "Are you always this dramatic?" Her voice was muffled by Amir's dampened t-shirt.

Amir laughed through her tears. "Damian finds it endearing."

"My mother sounds as crazy as you," Ymir admitted quietly.

Amir felt pleased that she had said that. "Do you think you could give your failure of a father a chance?"

Ymir pulled away from her embrace and wiped at her face. She ignored the sniffling from Hanji. Clearing her throat, Ymir shrugged. "Whatever," she said. "I have nothing to lose."

Amir's face brightened. She straightened proudly and then used her shirt to wipe at her face. After regaining her cool, Amir put a hand on Ymir's head and smiled down at her.

"I hope that we can get along."

Ymir stared up at her, feeling uncharacteristically small and vulnerable under Amir's strong gaze. Even after crying, her eyes—now normal—still retained a strength that Ymir had never seen before.

"Can we get to the testing, please?" Ymir said to change the focus of the moment.

Hanji hopped to her feet and sneakily wiped her tears. "Yes, of course! I will just need a blood sample." She headed to the lounge with the other two at her back and then pulled her suitcase from out of nowhere. After opening it she removed a syringe and a pair of gloves, and then quickly took a sample of Ymir's blood.

"There we go," she said, glancing at the crimson liquid. "I'll head to my room to start running tests. Keep yourselves busy until I'm done." She cackled and then grabbed her suitcase and hurried into one of the bedrooms down the hall. The door slammed behind her and Amir and Ymir were left awkwardly sitting in the lounge.

Ymir pressed a finger to the cotton over the puncture wound and sighed. She was starting to get a headache.

"Wanna go out and get some ice-cream?"

Ymir turned her head and regarded Amir. The woman had a mischievous smile. Ymir sighed.

"Sure."

They left the apartment, which Ymir found out belonged to Hanji, and Amir drove them to the nearest ice-cream store. When they parked in front of a Milky Way, Ymir wordlessly left the car and didn't wait for the older woman to catch up before she entered the store.

Amir felt slight irritation at being ignored. She sighed deeply and rubbed at her temple, and then she told Ymir to sit down while she got the snacks for them. Of course Ymir obeyed wordlessly and went to the seat farthest away from the entrance.

While looking over the large menu on the wall, Amir's phone vibrated in her pocket. It meant only one thing, so the black haired woman fumbled to rip the phone from her jeans pocket and then quickly pressed it to her ear.

"Yes?"

"Amir! Thank god. I tried your other number but it wasn't working and I was getting worried."

Amir chuckled lightly. "Sorry sis, I sort of broke the phone a little while ago."

"What did Hanji do this time?"

"It… oh shit yeah, you won't believe what that shitty glasses found."

The person on the other end went quiet, sensing the heaviness behind Amir's voice that wasn't always there. "You found her?"

Amir couldn't help but crack a smile. "Hanji found her a few weeks ago. She sent me to some other city so that she could find her first and just sort things out. She only called me three days ago, the shit. I broke my phone in my anger and raced here. Jesus, Ilse, she looks just like me."

Ilse ran a hand over her cheeks to wipe the tears away. "My god, all this time and you find her so easily."

"Apparently she was caught up in that Dena fiasco. That's how Hanji found her."

"Is she okay? When can I meet her?"

"I dunno. Those bastards did something to her. Hanji is figuring it out now, and then we'll head back home."

There was another pause. "And Damian…?"

Amir's happy mood disappeared in seconds. Her grin faded and she moodily shoved her fist into her pocket.

"It's like she dropped off the face of the earth."

Ilse sighed deeply and on her end started typing multiple keys by her computer. "I figured you wouldn't be able to find her so easily. Look, I might have a lead."

Amir suddenly straightened. "What?!"

"She was seen at a high class restaurant a year ago. Apparently she was escorting a big shot CEO. She is one of us."

Amir's eyes narrowed. "What the fuck does she think she's doing?"

"Infiltrating Illuminus on her own, I suppose."

"Damnit. That woman, I swear."

"She sent a new letter. It arrived last week. Probably just the usual greeting."

Amir groaned. "I'll give it a look and scent it for anything important. Maybe we can match a location, though she probably wouldn't allow her scent to cling to the letter if she doesn't want us to find her."

"Amir," Ilse said. "We need to find her soon. She's been on this vendetta for five years. I miss my sister-in-law, and if you have found your daughter, then she needs to be informed."

"She'll come running home the second she finds out. But how the fuck do we let her know?"

Ilse shrugged on her end. "When will you guys get back? It's been lonely down here with nothing but the ocean and the whales."

"We'll probably leave by tonight. Hanji needs her lab to do anything substantial. I hope you haven't messed my place up."

Ilse coughed roughly. "I, um, have to go! I'll keep searching for leads. I can't wait to meet my niece."

Amir finally grinned. "I'm sure it'll be amusing." They said their farewells and then ended the call. Amir quickly ordered ice-cream and then made her way over to Ymir, who was very much sulking.

The taller of the two dropped down into an empty seat and sighed. "So, kiddo, who is this Krista you keep mentioning?" She pushed a bowl over to Ymir and wiggled her eyebrows.

"None of your business," Ymir snapped. She roughly took the bowl and then stared down into it.

By the look on her face Amir instantly knew that it was a case of deep infatuation topped with self-loathing and heartbreak. Dropping the topic for now, Amir had to roll her eyes.

"Would you like to know about your family?" Amir asked instead.

Ymir lifted an eyebrow and finally lifted the spoon to her lips. The ice-cream was sweet on her tongue. "Whatever." She moodily glanced to the side and slumped in her seat.

Amir took that as an affirmative. "Your grandparents are dead, from both sides. Unfortunately the heartbreak of losing you took 'em all in one wave." Although it still stung deeply, Amir could shrug it off. Life and death happened, and after suffering so much already Amir was used to it. "I have a sister. You see, my father was married before she married my mother, and so Ilse is the child from—"

"She?" Ymir interrupted.

"Didn't Hanji tell you? There is no male demon. We're all women. Since the beginning we have not carried the Y chromosome."

Ymir's brow furrowed in confusion. "So how…?"

Amir grinned in amusement. "Ah, so you are finally interested in the conversation."

Ymir flushed, but she ignored the comment. "How do all these females procreate?"

"We have a certain spell that changes a certain part of the anatomy," Amir explained. "Which is why I'm your father, because I quite literally fathered you."

Ymir suddenly felt uncomfortable. She cleared her throat and then thought of something. "What if one of us likes men, since we seem to be a race of lesbians?"

At that Amir burst out into raucous laughter. She slapped the table, startling the customers around them, and dropped her head to her arms atop the table to calm herself.

"It's not in our genetics, kid." Amir said, finally regaining control and fighting her laughter off. "Not once, ever, has one of our kind been born with a desire for men." Just the thought was grossly absurd.

Ymir suddenly wondered about the dream she often had. She had always assumed it was the dream detailing her birth, but if what Amir said is true, then that man could not be her father. Those people couldn't be her parents anyway, because Ymir was sitting in front of one of them. What the hell was that dream then?

"Listen, Amir…" Ymir didn't like that she was about to ask, but Amir obviously knew much more than she did. "I have had this dream since I can remember. A woman is giving birth to me, and there's her husband and an old man there. They talk about the child bringing the end. I am the child, but I end up killing them. It's haunted me my whole life. If you are my parent, then who are the people from my dream?"

When Ymir looked up to finally gaze into Amir's face, she was slightly startled to see that the woman's eyes had changed and she was staring with intense anger.

"Those fuckers," she growled lowly. Her fangs came out and her lips curled upwards to reveal them. "I'll fucking rip their spines out."

While Ymir was impressed with the level of anger, she became concerned. "Calm down," she hissed hurriedly, glancing around them. However, Amir ignored her. The woman reached forward and grabbed the back of her neck. She pulled Ymir close and then pressed their foreheads together. Ymir could feel the growls from Amir's chest.

"They imprinted memories into you. Any reoccurring dream that you had was forced into your head by them. It was all to lead you to a destiny they orchestrated."

It was warm where their foreheads touched. "So, everything…?"

"Everything you have dreamt is a lie. Ymir, you may be capable of horrid things, but you are not evil by nature. You are an innocent. You're my kid. You don't have to be an end to the world; you just have to be my child."

Ymir swallowed and felt like her world suddenly made no sense. Everything she had known and believed was a lie, and she was struggling to swallow it all down. Sure, knowing that her horrid 'vision' of destroying the world had been an image imprinted on her made her feel tons lighter. It was just a lot to take in.

But Ymir still felt like a monster and like she was a danger to everyone. The only person she did not feel she could harm was Amir. In an odd way Ymir felt that Amir would be able to stop her in any rage she might be experiencing.

At least it set Ymir's nerves at ease and she lightly pulled away.

"Okay," she said lightly. "I get it."

Amir sat back in her seat, lips set in a frown. She felt a tightening in her chest and wished that Damian was with her. If only she could just call her, to hear her voice. She missed her so much.

"You done with your ice-cream?"

Ymir looked down at her half eaten meal and then shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"Let's head back then and see what Hanji figured out."

The freckled brunette nodded and then followed Amir out of the store. When she stepped out into the fresh air, a sudden foreboding feeling washed over. Ymir's eyes snapped upwards to meet Amir's as the older woman turned to look at her. Amir's eyes had changed again and looked panicked.

It happened far too quickly for either of them to react quickly enough.

A van suddenly veered off the road, clearly intent on ramming into them. It swerved at the last second to the left, no longer about to crash into the store, but crashed into Amir instead. The front bonnet crunched as it collided with her tall body, and a long stream of blood suddenly left her mouth when her ribs all cracked. Ymir was missed by inches and she turned to watch Amir's body fly into the air before thudding against the ground in a heap. Cold, painful ice filled her veins and an overwhelming sickness took her stomach.

Suddenly the doors to the van swung open and hands were pulling Ymir in. Her black and red eyes remained glued to Amir's lifeless form, and then the door shut with a final slam and Ymir snapped back to reality.

She kicked and punched at her captors, screaming.

"Amir!" She screamed the name over and over, heart thudding painfully in her chest. Images of the collision still flashed behind her eyes and a suffocating sadness filled Ymir's mind.

She had just found her real parent, and then she had been taken so violently away from her. When would she stop losing everyone that she cherished?

In that moment Ymir realized that although they did now know each other, Amir had already grown on her. She had secretly looked forward to getting to know the person that she had come from. Now, with the knowledge that she would never be able to, anguished tears poured from Ymir's eyes and she ceased moving. It was useless. They were too strong and she was too hyped up on emotions. Giving up was all she had left.

"Good job!" a woman shouted from the front. "We got her!"

One of the women holding onto Ymir laughed. "Hell yeah! Did you see how that bitch went down?" She was short and stocky, with broad shoulders dotted with spiralling tattoos. Her hair was long and red, with portions shaved in patterns. Many piercings sat along her face, and red, eerie eyes looked down at Ymir.

"They look so much alike I couldn't decide which one to hit," the driver, a short-haired blonde said. The woman glanced back quickly and Ymir caught a glimpse of green eyes. They looked cold.

"Stop congratulating each other and focus on the task at hand," the third woman announced. She had already tied Ymir's hands and no longer held onto her. She looked unimpressed, as if touching Ymir had been the most unsavoury thing she had ever been made to do.

Her hair was chin length and cut in a way that it stuck out in all directions. Portions were red, while most of it was just black. Unlike the redhead she had no plethora of tattoos and piercings, but she did have a necklace with a strange symbol on it. Ymir barely paid it any mind.

"Aw, come on Shay," the redhead whined at her partner.

"This mission hasn't succeeded yet Alice," Shay argued angrily. "Remember what Eva told us! We are not to lose focus until we are back inside of the compound."

Alice deflated and then slumped to the floor, arms crossed over her chest. "Fine."

"Guys, is the kid still alive?" the blonde asked.

Shay leaned forward to see Ymir's face and was pleased to see her eyes, black and red, were open and that her chest was heaving.

"Yeah, she's just in shock. How much longer until we leave the city?"

"About ten minutes."

"Hey, Reece! Why don't we stop to get some food? I'm fucking hungry."

Reece, the blonde, shook her head and grinned. "I would but Shay might just kill us and complete the mission on her own."

Shay merely lifted an eyebrow and made no attempt to deny the accusation. Alice rolled her eyes and acquiesced.

They all fell into silence then and all Ymir could hear was the sound of her own breathing. No one had gagged her yet, at least. Not that she was preparing to make any noises. What for? She didn't really have anything left.

Getting to meet her mother would have been nice, though. Ymir imagined what she would look like. She imagined being consumed in a warm, loving hug and having a soft laugh echo in her ear. Amir would hug them both then, joyous and crying as dramatically as she could.

Tears pressed against her eyes but Ymir forced them back. Crying wouldn't bring Amir back.

"Fuck," Reece suddenly cursed.

Both Alice and Shay glanced up at the blonde and then something heavy landed atop the van. They had just left city limits and were now on a highway flanked by nothing but dry soil.

"What the fuck is—" Alice started to ask, but then an arm broke through the roof of the car and grabbed her face. She was yanked out of the van and then her screams suddenly stopped. Shay scrambled to find her gun but then the van suddenly lifted.

Ymir's heart shot into her throat. What the fuck was going on now? She was roughly shoved into the doors of the van when it was harshly shoved off of the road, and she grunted at the pain.

"It's her!" Reece yelled. She attempted to start the car again but then her door was ripped off, and so was her face. She screamed in terror and then gargled when her throat was ripped out. Ymir could only glance back and catch a glance of a large, muscled arm pull away from the dead woman. The fingers were long, the skin leathery and red. The nails were sharp and black.

Shay had watched her companion die, and so she gripped her gun tightly and aimed it at any noise she heard. Suddenly an idea came to her, and she harshly lifted Ymir by grabbing onto her upper arm.

"Make a move and I'll fucking kill her!" Shay yelled. She kicked the van's door open and, holding Ymir close to her body with the gun pressed to her temple, stepped out into the hot sun and dust. "I swear to every fucking made-up god that I'll blow her brains out!"

Before them, nostrils flaring and eyes angry, stood the scariest thing Ymir had ever seen. It was a demon, she knew that much. However, it was about seven meters tall, with thick, black wings protruding from its back.

The familiar speckles on the demon's face made Ymir's eyes widen.

"Amir!" she yelled.

Amir grinned. It was a frightening sight with her reddened skin and the blood dotting her face, but it still sent childlike happiness through Ymir. She wanted to struggle out of the woman's hold, but she couldn't. There was still a gun pressed to her head.

"I'm going to get into the van," Shay explained. "And then I'll drop the kid and leave here alive. Got that? Stay where you are and we can all leave here alive."

Shay understood the situation. She understood that leaving here with Ymir was not an option. It was either leave Ymir and live, or attempt to take her and die. The winning decision here was obvious.

Amir shrugged her large shoulders and then flapped her wings. Though she looked angry she did not seem worried. Ymir was reassured by this and found her tears were already drying. She grunted when Shay pulled her too tightly, and then braced herself when she was shoved to the ground.

Shay jumped into the van and then quickly sped off. She grinned to herself as she stared into the rear-view mirror.

Amir watched her go for a minute. Ymir was on the ground, gasping in pain. "I'll be back," she said. Her wings flapped powerfully and then she was off, flying at such a speed that she was a blur.

The van suddenly shot into the air and something sliced it in half. It remained suspended for a second, and then it exploded. Shay didn't even have time to scream.

In no time Amir was by Ymir's side, gradually changing back into her human form. She used her claws to snap the rope around Ymir's wrists.

Amir was not expecting the tight hug that followed. Ymir flung herself at Amir and then wrapped her arms around her still thick neck.

"I thought you died!" she choked out.

Amir carefully returned the hug, smiling to herself. "Naw. It'll take more than that to kill your dad off."

Ymir laughed then. She couldn't help it.

When Amir's body had finished changing, she was naked. Ymir didn't care and continued to cling onto her. Before Amir could voice her concerns, a familiar car screeched to a halt beside them. Inside Hanji looked pale.

"I saw what happened," she said. She climbed out and opened the door for Amir to climb in with Ymir in her arms.

Amir felt nervous at the look on Hanji's face. "Why do I have a feeling that something else has you looking like that?"

Back behind the wheel, Hanji nodded. "I tested her blood," she explained. "And I am completely surprised that Ymir is still alive."

Amir sucked in a deep breath and Ymir stiffened. "Explain."

"Whatever they put into her, it was accelerating the development of her second form. While we naturally only start changing from the age of ten, she started at four. Ymir's own blood is attacking her and she's been sick because of it."

"Is… is there a way to fix it?"

Hanji could at least nod her head and relax her posture. "We should give her a blood transplant when we get back. Amir, you share the same blood type so you can donate."

Amir would have done so without being told. "Is she in any immediate danger?"

Hanji glanced in the mirror and locked eyes with her long-time friend. "Amir, Ymir should have been dead the moment they injected that stuff into her."

Amir's arms tightened around Ymir. She frowned. "Get us back quickly," she said. "I want to get this out of her now."

Hanji didn't need to be told twice. Glancing in the mirror again, she caught Ymir staring out of the window. Fierce anger and protectiveness filled her chest, but more than that, relief. She was so glad that Ymir was so strong. If she had been a normal demon, then perhaps she wouldn't have made it so long.

"I'll get us there in no time!" Hanji chirped cheerfully. "We might as well tell Ilse to prepare some coffee for us already!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Playlist for chapter VI: **Breathe Into Me by Red, Faceless by Red and The Grey by Icon For Hire

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><p><strong>VI<strong>

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><p>It had been just about an hour after her world came crashing down around her, and Krista stared listlessly out of the car window. Her forehead felt cold against the glass, but she barely noticed. Beside her Nanaba glanced worriedly but made no move to start conversation.<p>

The radio was on, playing a song that Krista had enjoyed with Ymir on their trip. With a huff she slapped the button to turn it off, and then she pressed her forehead to the window again. Nanaba glanced her way.

"Krista…" She didn't like the way the little blonde was acting. She had snapped when Nanaba had tried to talk, and now she was staring out into nothing with a deep frown on her face. "I'm sorry. Ymir called me and I had to come."

Krista had heard it before. She could picture it. It had probably happened when Ymir had disappeared.

_Why,_ Krista thought, _why would you leave me Ymir? Weren't we supposed to tackle the world together?_

A painful sensation tingled through her heart and Krista slapped a hand over her eyes to hide her tears. Yet they spilled anyway, and Nanaba could see them.

"Your parents are worried…" Nanaba supplied nervously. She felt both mad at Ymir and worried for Krista. What had they gone through for Krista to break down like this? "You know, Ymir didn't break up with you. She just—"

"We weren't dating," Krista interrupted harshly. She sniffed loudly and used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe the snot from her upper lip.

Nanaba blinked. "Um…" She did not know what else to say, so she merely sighed and faced forward. This would surely be a long ride.

XxX

"Historia!"

Krista was wrapped in cold, shaking arms. Her mother hugged her tightly and cried into her shoulder, but Krista didn't reciprocate. Arms lamely at her sides, Krista did not even attempt to hug her back.

Her father noticed and he frowned. "Young lady, you are grounded until we feel you have learnt your lesson."

Krista's vacant blue eyes barely showed any recognition. She shrugged her shoulders, muttered 'okay' and then headed up the stairs to her large, pink room. Her parents watched her go, and then they turned to Nanaba. The tall blonde handed the bag over to them.

"I'm so sorry for the trouble Ymir caused."

Mr Reiss frowned deeply. "Yes, well, at least Historia is back."

"And what of Ymir?" Mrs Reiss enquired. They were both frowning and wanting to curse the brunette's name but not tactless enough to do so in front of Nanaba.

Nanaba sighed and rubbed her hands off on her jeans. "She went off on her own."

Mr and Mrs Reiss seemed pleased. They didn't mention this and gave Nanaba grateful smiles before she went home.

Meanwhile, in her room Krista collapsed onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling with burning eyes. She did not know how to handle the torrent of emotions inside of her. It all felt strange—like a dream she would surely wake from. When morning came she would be in the hotel bed, wrapped up in Ymir's warm embrace.

A flash of sorrowful brown eyes reminded Krista of the crushing rejection, and she moodily turned onto her side and buried her hands into her hair.

_Ymir, how are you going to function without me? What if you get mad and throw a fit? Who will comfort you after a nightmare? You need me!_

Like a taunt, Ymir's voice filled her ears, "Don't you mean that _you_ need me?"

Krista squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She still couldn't understand how everything had changed in merely a few hours. They had woken up so happy and now she was in her room, crying and leaking snot onto her pillow.

Like a sickening feeling Krista began to yearn for Ymir, and anger followed it. She didn't want to miss her. She wanted to be furious with her. Maybe if she was angry enough Ymir would sense it and come home. Ymir would stop acting foolish and they could go back to the way things were.

"_Stop acting like I'm not dangerous and like you aren't scared of me."_

Krista clenched her hands tightly and refused to believe the sinking feeling in her stomach. _Ymir won't come back,_ a voice taunted. _She doesn't need you anymore._

Krista ended up crying herself to sleep, and the entire while she was plagued with nightmares.

XxX

Over the course of the weekend Krista did not leave her room. Her parents had knocked on her door, demanding to be let in. She had refused them. In order to make sure that she ate, they left a tray of whatever meal they were having by her door. She only ate once the entire weekend. Only silence prevailed from her room, and her parents grew largely concerned.

They had contacted the school and informed them of Krista's return. It wasn't clear when Krista would eventually emerge from her room to go to school, and luckily the principle was understanding of that fact. He gave a two week limit, after which Krista would have to be forced to attend school. Otherwise her last year would be jeopardized. Luckily, it had only taken a week.

The early Monday morning was gloomy. It was August, nearing the end of winter and becoming the coldest it would be. Most of Malia wouldn't be surprised if it snowed, though it rarely did. Climate was such a changing thing these days.

Frosty, frigid air blew across the school parking lot as Krista climbed out of her parents' car. They were both seated inside, both watching Krista with concern and pity.

"If you need anything, go to the principle and he will contact us," Mrs Reiss said gently.

Krista did not offer a voice of response, opting to merely nod instead. She closed the car door, barely noticing the shift from heater warmed air to the cold wind. Mr and Mrs Reiss could only share a glance as they watched their daughter mindlessly patter into the school grounds. They hoped that she would feel better after interacting with her peers. She hadn't said a word since returning.

Students around her whispered as Krista made her way through the hallway towards her register class. She gripped her bag strap tightly, hands dyeing white with the force. Her eyes, half lidded and cast at the ground, looked dull and grey. She bumped into people here and there, not offering a word of apology. Those that felt angered by her mindlessness quickly lost their anger when they sensed the immense depression around her.

"Isn't she that weird girl always stuck to Ymir?" a girl whispered to her friend.

"Yeah, but I heard they ran away a month ago. Think she got caught and brought back?"

"Looks like it. Is Ymir here with her?"

"No. I just saw Krista walk in. She'd be all over Ymir by now."

"You know, Krista looks really down."

"You're right. I wonder what happened."

"Poor Krista. Ymir must have put her through so much."

Krista, lamely listening to it all, paused in the centre of the hallway. The moving crowd around her paused as well, and then startled slightly when the blonde straightened her previously slouched posture and turned to the two conversing friends.

One was red haired while the other had brown pigtails.

"What did you say?" Krista asked. Her grip on her bag tightened even further.

Redhead spared a glance with her friend, nervous. "U-um, we were just saying that Ymir must have put you through a lot…" she trailed off nervously.

Krista stared at her dead-on. Her previously empty eyes were now filled with intense, consuming anger. Without warning she shot forward, weaving through the stunned crowd until she made her way towards the girl. Though small, her fist connected loudly with Redhead's jaw, sending her crashing into Pigtails.

Pigtails cried out in surprise and managed to catch her friend. She shot a look at Krista, mortified. "What are you doing?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Krista screamed. She panted, shoulders and chest heaving. "Don't you ever say her name again!" this she yelled loudly, so that everyone could hear. "Do you hear me? It's none of your fucking business!"

More than just shocked that Krista had sworn, the surrounding students all whispered amongst themselves and shared startled looks. They couldn't match the previously sweet Krista with this angry little person before them. Sure, no one had been inclined to get to know her, but she had still been kind. When one bumped into her, she was always quick to apologise irrespective of who was to blame. If someone dropped something, she had hurried to pick it up. She even defended those that were bullied, despite being ignored by those very people herself.

No one truly knew Krista, and feared being acquainted with her due to Ymir, but they had always had a common understanding that Krista was the school saint. Not only was she quick to help, but she stuck to the most difficult person imaginable.

"What the devil is going on here?!" A teacher appeared, having heard the yelling and the noise of the crowd. He spied Redhead cradling her jaw, Krista standing threateningly in front of her, and correctly guessed the situation. "Krista, my office, now."

Even more shock swept through the students, and they watched as Krista's anger drained to nothing and she shrugged. The teacher's angry glare did nothing to deter her, and she merely followed him towards the collection of offices. The bell rang then, and everyone had to leave their conversation and gossip to hurry to their classes.

School had just begun.

XxX

Though it had not rung once, not with a message or a call, Krista still clutched her phone tightly to her chest. It was warm to the touch, thanks to being held for so long. When a touch landed on Krista's shoulder, the blonde's grip tightened as she startled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." It was Reiner. He had a genuinely apologetic look on his face, so Krista shrugged. She did not respond and looked back out over the school field, where she had been sitting by Ymir's favourite spot—the tree where they had first met. "Look, I know I made a terrible first impression. I blame my chauvinistic upbringing." Reiner scratched his head. "I heard what happened and that you got sent to the principal. Seems like your life is shit right now." He grimaced at the tasteless words that left his mouth, but found that he couldn't control it.

Krista didn't respond, she didn't move and just continued to look blankly forward. The most emotion she had shown that day was her uncharacteristic anger, which had dimmed and disappeared completely. Now she was merely exhausted, drained and depressed.

It felt as if a suffocating blackness had surrounded her, blocking off the world to her. She wasn't sure if the sounds she heard and the sights she saw were real, or a figment of her imagination. A desperate sadness had settled on her heart, and Krista did not know how to handle it.

"Sorry, that was a stupid thing to say. What I mean is, that… I mean… look, you look depressed and it's getting everyone down. I just wanted to come over and offer some comfort."

Finally Krista turned to the muscular boy, her eyes not alight with fire, but empty and desolate. "What makes you think I want your comfort?" She didn't wait for a response, collected her uneaten lunch and walked away from him.

Reiner sighed deeply and ran a hand over his large wrist. Why did he have to shove both feet into his mouth? The blonde boy kicked himself for his failure to offer a kind hand. He really meant it that he hated seeing the small blonde sad, despite not even knowing her. He had been a real jerk to her, and after learning that she had run off with that strange brunette, he had grown worried that his actions had sparked it.

Reiner still wasn't sure why Krista and Ymir had left, but the rumours were already circulating. He ignored them all, wanting to hear from Krista herself instead. From what he had heard over the past month, Krista didn't really have any other friends. Now that Ymir was gone, he was determined to be there for her. He had no chance with her—that he had assured of himself by acting like an idiot. What he was really concerned for now was just being a friend, nothing more. If only he could do it without being a moron about it.

Meanwhile, wishing that the school break would be over soon, Krista made her way to her next class. While she walked through the halls students whispered, some stopping the moment Krista walked by them, others not bothering. Krista didn't bother to even pretend that she cared. She just walked by, focused entirely on getting to an empty classroom to rest her tired body.

She hadn't been sleeping that well, which wasn't all that surprising.

When she stepped into the classroom, she paused upon noticing that it wasn't empty. To her dismay Marco sat in the back row, chin pressed to his palm and eyes now trained on her. He seemed just as uncomfortable, and for the first time Krista wondered what he thought of her.

Did Ymir's adopted siblings blame her for leaving with Ymir? Did they hate her now?

Krista released a short breath, and then turned to leave. A soft voice stopped her.

"Wait."

Krista paused just before opening the door. She did not look at Marco again.

"I'm sorry," he said. His voice sounded nearer. "I haven't seen you since before you and Ymir left." His foot scuffed against the floor and Krista realized that he was now behind her. "Can we talk, please?" A gentle hand touched her back.

"About what?"

"About why you left."

"What good will it do?" Talking felt strange. Krista had barely spoken since returning, and stringing so many words together after days of silence made her tongue almost ache. A dry sensation filled her mouth.

"To understand a little better. I never understood a thing about Ymir, about her relationship with you or why you both depended on each other. What made you stick to her so strongly? I'm not judging, I'm merely curious. I've barely slept since finding out that Nanaba didn't bring her home. I miss her too, we all do. Please, just help me out here. Help me understand."

Krista's eyes burnt. "You'll never understand," she said. "Even if I explain it."

Marco frowned. "Why not? Did Ymir convince you to leave, is that it? Krista, you know that she's been diagnosed with so many mental illnesses. I don't think—"

"No, she's not sick like that." Krista sighed. Her back remained tense but her arm finally dropped to her side.

"I don't understand."

"Like I said, you never will."

Marco seemed as if he would argue again, but instead he sighed. Krista heard the rustle of his jacket. "How are you holding up? I heard you had it rough."

Krista shrugged. "She left me. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

Marco heard the waver in her voice and grew concerned. "She really did leave you? You weren't planning on coming back on your own?"

"No, why would I?"

"I don't know… I just thought…. I don't know what I thought. You look really out of it, are you sure you should be at school?"

The question did not need an answer. She decided that her defeated slump was answer enough. Apparently it was, and when her eyes began to burn, Marco's thin arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind.

"She left us too, you know. We understand your pain."

Krista bit into her lip. "No you don't. You never will."

Marco let the comment be. He felt that he had more questions than answers, but felt lighter after at least speaking with Krista. Wondering what had happened had weighed on his mind. He hoped that Krista would talk to him over time. For now he tightened his hold, not mentioning that Krista was shaking or that he could feel salty droplets plopping against his skin.

"I heard you punched someone. Did that really happen?" Krista nodded and Marco laughed. "Well I'll be damned. Ymir taught you well."

Krista's tears fell harder. She wanted to agree, she wanted to scream. In the end she just ducked her head and allowed the kind freckled boy to hold her. It was painful to let him, but it would have been more painful to slump to the floor. For now she allowed herself the comfort, but silently vowed to herself to never cry in front of another again.

XxX

That night Krista lay awake in her bed, like she had every night, staring up at the ceiling. The events of her day circulated in her mind, drawing her focus away from any possibility of sleep. Slight guilt washed over her. Why had she been so fine with punching that girl in the face? Even now, thinking about the moment and remembering the feeling—the satisfaction—of her fist hitting flesh, she felt no remorse. No true remorse, like she usually would. Her guilt made her angry, and when she thought of her conversation with Reiner, her heart thundered in anger.

Who was he to approach her like they were friends?

Krista groaned softly and pressed her fingers to her throbbing temples. She would give anything to have Ymir there with her, to soothe her aches and hold her tightly. But she wasn't there, and Krista was left feeling unprotected and cold. How would she ever get over the loss and walk on her own two feet?

The notion itself seemed impossible.

"Historia, are you still awake?" It was her mother.

Krista turned around so that her back was facing the door and remained quiet.

"Historia? Are you asleep or simply ignoring me?"

Krista responded by doing the latter, hoping her mother would get the hint and leave her be. She did love her parents despite their many flaws, because she could see that their overbearing nature was merely due to their care for her. But they were suffocating her—demanding to be let into her head, to help, to fix her. She knew they would not understand and they would definitely not take her feelings seriously. Being told to 'get over it' was the last thing that Krista needed in her current emotional state.

"I just want to let you know that we aren't upset about your fight today. The principal said that he won't punish you for it, and he will not allow it on your record. If you do it again, though, he will have to take action." Her mother sighed. "We don't understand what is pushing you to this sort of behaviour, but your father and I are willing to listen. We are frightened for you, Historia. We love you. Please talk to us if you need to."

_You won't understand,_ Krista thought bitterly to herself. _There is no one on earth that would listen to my problems with an understanding ear. _

Her mother lingered for a good few minutes, hopeful that her presence would coax her daughter into opening the door. It didn't, and with a light sigh she walked away. Krista listened to her fading footsteps, heart pounding.

Her chest tightened painfully as her heart betrayed her anger and felt bad for treating her parents so badly. It internally screamed for Ymir, to bring her back and beg her not to leave again.

Krista squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the blankets up to her chin. She pressed her cheek firmly into the pillow and then relaxed lightly. The pounding in her heart took a moment to cease, and with great effort she managed to clear her mind and ease her panic. With her body relaxed, it felt as if she would fall off into sleep.

"You know," Ymir spoke up. "You look like shit."

Krista gasped loudly and shot up in bed. "Ymir?"

The brunette snorted and then pushed away from the wall she had been leaning on. "Since when did you ignore your parents? They irritated you sometimes, sure, but you never disrespected them like this before."

Anger filled Krista's chest. "I don't need lecturing from you!"

Ymir seemed unfazed by the angry outburst. She sauntered over, lips set in a cruel smirk. She sat down on the bed and stretched her arms lazily. "When last did you even eat? I wasn't joking. You look like something shat you out."

Krista's entire body trembled. She gripped her blanket tightly, her knuckles turning white. What did Ymir think she was doing? How dare she waltz in and act like everything was fine? How dare she even attempt to lecture Krista?

"It's all your fault," she seethed. "You made all these damn promises and then you broke them all."

Ymir turned to her sharply, and the most remorseful expression covered her face. She scooted closer, ignoring the fear that suddenly clouded Krista's eyes, and reached out to touch her cheek. Krista shivered when the touch was cold.

"Do you really think I wanted to leave you?" she asked. Her voice was not laced with venom, but with sadness. "You were the only thing keeping me human, Krista." She leaned in to ghost her lips over Krista's. "I need you to remember that."

"But why did you leave?" Krista asked tearfully. She had promised that day not to cry in front of another person again—not even Ymir. But her eyes burnt, and keeping her tears at bay was proving difficult. "I just don't understand why you left me when you need me."

Ymir smiled sadly. She pressed their foreheads together and sighed. "Krista, sometimes we have to fall our hardest to know how to stand the strongest."

Krista's brows furrowed. When did Ymir talk so whimsically?

"We need to break on our own," Ymir continued. "So that we can fix ourselves."

"But why did you leave?"

"I couldn't stay."

"You could have. I would have been there for you."

"But who would be there for you?"

Krista fell silent. Ymir was still pressed against her, and a large, familiar hand gently took a hold of her own, intertwining their fingers. Thankfully the grip was warm and strong, just like Krista remembered.

"I..." Krista did not know what to say. Ymir was right, wasn't she? Why was she so right?

"I have to go now," Ymir said. "I've stayed too long already."

Krista jumped out of bed when Ymir stood and made for the door. The brunette reached out for the handle, but Krista stopped her. "Ymir!" she yelled.

Ymir looked over her shoulder and Krista's footsteps faltered. Glowing red and black eyes stared at her, and the sight sent fear down her spine. Ymir grinned like it was a joke, and then she pressed a hand to Krista's chest, took a breath, and smiled again.

"Fall, Krista."

And then she pushed her, and Krista screamed as she plummeted through her bedroom floor into a vast, empty black hole. She saw Ymir's face above her, watching her with a frown. The demon-born's lips moved, and Krista screamed again when she read them.

"Goen'a."

XxX

Though she had fallen asleep easily, her nightmare had startled her awake. Krista had not gone back to sleep after. How could she? She had wept through the hours, desperately clutching her phone and wishing that it would chime with a call or a message—anything.

Krista did not know what to make of her dream. Was it Ymir trying to tell her something, or her subconscious?

"You okay?"

A large body filled the seat beside her and Krista groaned internally.

"Oh and good morning," Reiner said.

Krista was not in the mood, so she pressed her arms to her desk and rested her head down on them. She ignored him, but that didn't seem to be working.

"So, you missed a lot of work in a month. How are you holding up? If you want, I could help you out." He nervously rubbed his forearm. "I could even just give my books to you, if you'd rather copy the work and save the time."

Krista sighed loudly and then turned, back facing him. Reiner sighed in defeat and headed back to his desk.

_What is he trying to prove? _Krista thought to herself. _Idiot._

The day went by slowly, agonizingly slowly. People still whispered and they seemed to only get louder. Krista tried to ignore it, but Ymir's name kept popping up everywhere and at some point she had almost simply fled school.

Marco had approached her then, during second break. He didn't say anything and neither had she. They just sat quietly together, both of them solemn and broody. Though Marco had wanted to ask his many questions, he knew that he would get no answers. When the bell rang he had touched a finger to Krista's shoulder, smiled and then headed off to his next class.

Krista felt awful.

After Marco's silent comfort she began to wonder how the others were doing. How was Nanaba?

So after school, with great reluctance Krista walked to where Ymir had lived. It was close to the school, since Ymir used to get sick often and had to be rushed home.

When the house came into view a knot formed in her stomach. Memories of the last time she had been in the house, with Ymir, making promises and preparing to leave, filled her mind. It made her heart ache.

She reached the heavy iron gate and paused by it, suddenly overcome with anxiety. What if Nanaba was upset with her or blamed her? The blonde doubted that she would be able to handle that.

"Krista?" Nanaba appeared by the front door, hair dishevelled, eyes tired and worried. "Are you okay?"

Krista didn't understand the concern, but then she felt something wet drip from her chin and realized that she had started crying. She wiped the tears away with an angry huff.

"I'm fine," she rasped.

Nanaba faltered and swallowed. "Would you like to come in? It's just me at home."

Krista nodded hesitantly and then opened the gate to step through it. She kept her head down as she passed by the blonde, and sniffled lightly when she felt new tears emerge.

"What brings you here?" Nanaba asked gently. She wanted to give the small blonde a hug, but knew not if she was allowed. Instead she walked into the lounge and sat down on the largest couch. Krista followed, sitting down beside her.

"I'm sorry," Krista said softly. She didn't even know what she was apologizing for.

"Krista... It's..." Nanaba clasped her hands together. "You don't need to apologize for anything."

Krista shrugged and grew silent. She stared at her shoes, hands pressed together. Eventually she took a breath and decided to voice her main concern.

"Has Ymir contacted you?"

Nanaba's expression grew tired again. "No, she hasn't. Her cellphone is out of service. I went back to where you both were staying and she wasn't there. I found her car there and brought back, but she'd apparently checked out a few days earlier. I don't know where she could be."

Krista couldn't stop the intense worry that clouded her mind. Ymir's car had been left there? Where was Ymir then?

"If she contacts me, you'll be the first to know." Nanaba hesitantly placed a hand atop Krista's. "I promise."

"Thank you."

Nanaba released a breath. "Would you like some tea?" Krista nodded so Nanaba hurriedly got to her feet and disappeared into the kitchen.

After putting the kettle on Nanaba spread her fingers out on the counter and stared down at them. Marco had agreed to be her eyes and ears at school. So she was aware of Krista's emotional state. Marco had tried to ask Krista about why they'd left, but she hadn't answered. Nanaba desperately wanted to know.

What was really wrong with Ymir? Her suspicion stemmed from the day she had accidentally walked in on Ymir changing her clothes. She had just wanted to neaten Ymir's room while she was at school, but apparently Ymir had decided to skip.

_Nanaba wasn't sure what she was looking at. Her hand remained on the door handle. Ymir had frozen in the middle of slipping her shirt over her head._

_Long, black veins spiralled over her body. Nanaba had never seen anything like them before, or the anger that had suddenly taken Ymir over._

_"Get the fuck out!" Ymir roared, face contorted in fury. Her shirt had been quickly pulled down, and Nanaba could no longer see the marks. _

_"What was that?" she asked. "How did you get those marks?"_

_Ymir stormed at her, ignoring her questions. She roughly shoved Nanaba out of the room, and as she threw the door shut, her angry gaze met Nanaba's._

_Nanaba's blood ran cold when unnatural red and black eyes stared at her, and then they were gone, the slam of the door echoing in her ears. _

Nanaba was sure that those eyes weren't normal. Neither were those marks. So how did these strange things contribute to Ymir's awful health? Some nights she would wake screaming, some vomiting blood. The others had pretended not to notice, because it frightened them, but Nanaba had—and now she wanted to know the truth.

Making the tea quickly, she moved back into the lounge after and then handed a cup to the smaller blonde. Krista seemed to have regained her bearings. She seemed less likely to cry now.

"Krista," Nanaba started. "About Ymir..." How could she phrase it? "There's something I'd like to ask."

Krista drew in a harsh breath. "I told Marco already, I don't know why she left me."

"No." Nanaba shook her head. "That isn't what I want to ask."

"Then what is it?"

Nanaba paused for a moment. Eventually, she said, "I know that Ymir wasn't really sick like she wanted us to believe." She sucked in a breath. "I... I saw these strange marks on her body once. They were like veins, impossibly black. They were spread out all over her back." By Krista's sudden stillness Nanaba knew that the little blonde had seen them too. "I saw Ymir's eyes change. Please, if you can, explain it to me. What's really going on with her?"

Krista chuckled to herself, but it wasn't amused. "You wouldn't understand."

"I'd like to try."

"You won't believe it."

"If it's the truth then I will."

Krista sighed deeply. "Okay," she conceded. "I'll tell you." _It's not like you'll actually believe me anyway._

Nanaba seemed surprised that Krista had agreed so quickly, and remained hopefully silent. She pressed her closed fists to her lap, heart beating in nervousness.

"Ymir isn't human," Krista said simply. She shrugged and then took a slight sip of tea.

Nanaba's brows furrowed in confusion. "Then what is she?"

"A demon. Not the kind of demon we're taught about, but a living, breathing person. She has a demon form. That's the eyes you saw. She fights against changing into it and that's why she was always sick. Ymir had these dreams that she was sent here to destroy the world. These dreams tore her up inside." Krista was surprised at how easily the words left her lips. It felt good to finally tell someone, too.

"So… So is that why you left with her?"

Krista nodded. "Ymir didn't want to stay here anymore. Her marks were growing longer and they hurt. She wanted to try to find a way to make sure her dream never came true." Krista continued to explain how she'd first seen Ymir's marks, her eyes, when Ymir had finally told her that she is a demon. Nanaba listened intently, not once stopping her even when her brows rose or connected. It was obviously a lot to take in, and Krista didn't expect her to believe any of it.

Krista explained how their journey went, how Ymir needed her, how they ended up on Mike's farm. She cringed when she retold the horrific ritual and murders, and then how she couldn't look at Ymir afterwards—how she became afraid of her, nervous of her touch.

Nanaba, though sceptical, seemed to slowly accept the story as it went on. Her eyes filled with understanding, like the explanation was validating things she has seen or heard. By the end of it Krista was breathless and in tears. Nanaba was speechless.

"But it's all crazy, huh?" Krista said. She pressed a hand to her heart.

"No," Nanaba said, shaking her head. "There's no other explanation for the weird things I saw with Ymir. It might take a little while for me to sort through what you just told me, but my gut says that it's all the truth."

Krista eyed her warily. Did she really believe what Krista had told her? Krista was too tired to care whether she did or not. She felt drained, like each word that she had spoken had taken her energy with it.

"Krista," Nanaba said. "Would you like to stay the night?" She shifted, uncomfortable. "You make me feel close to Ymir. You also look terrible. It's dark outside."

Krista turned to look at the window. To her shock Nanaba was right—it was pitch-black outside. It seemed that her story had taken more than just her energy.

Hesitantly she nodded. "Can I maybe sleep in Ymir's room?" Her heart hurt, but it yearned. She had gone days without feeling Ymir's presence or smelling her scent. Would her room still smell like her? Krista hoped so.

"I'll call your parents. Are you hungry?" Krista shook her head. "Okay." Nanaba reached for the house phone and then paused. "Thank you for telling me." Her smile was grateful, but sad.

Krista shrugged. "I'm gonna go to her room now." She didn't want to listen to Nanaba speak to her parents and went to Ymir's room quickly. Her legs trembled, as did her heart. A rush of emotions filled her body, and when she nervously pushed Ymir's door open, a familiar scent washed over her.

It was warm and comforting, tinged with the ever present scent of Ymir's blood and sweat. All of it was so welcomed that Krista almost expected to see Ymir lying on her bed, turning to glare at her.

The dream from the previous night came back to her. Krista padded over to the bed. It was just as messy as always, wrinkled from Ymir's body that had laid on it. Her pillow still held a faint indent of her head.

Krista collapsed onto the bed and buried her nose against the pillow, inhaling deeply. It smelt strongly of Ymir. Krista began to cry.

Most of her worried for Ymir's safety. What if her dream came true? Surely Ymir couldn't handle it on her own.

Krista pulled her cellphone out of her pocket, found Ymir's number and then hovered over it. For the past few days she had wanted to send a message, but didn't know if she should. If Ymir didn't respond it would kill her, but if Ymir did respond, there was no guarantee that she would be kind. For all Krista knew, Ymir could have forgotten her already.

_"You're the only thing that kept me human."_

Ymir's voice from her dream swept through her ears. Krista's heart thudded, her hand tightened around her cellphone.

"Ymir would never forget," she told herself determinedly. "There's no way she would." But a part of Krista still feared it—not being needed by Ymir anymore, not being loved or wanted.

Krista wondered if Ymir would ever return. She was afraid of the answer.

With tears drying on her skin, Krista fell asleep amongst the comforting scent of the one person she truly loved.

XxX

Krista wasn't sure how long she had been asleep. At first the thought that Nanaba was attempting to wake her, but then she heard Ymir's window swish open.

For the longest second Krista fell back into the past, thinking she had just fallen asleep in Ymir's arms. But then hard feet thudded against the ground and a cold hand clamped around her mouth.

"Where is the Lucifer-born?" a harsh, grating voice enquired.

A second pair of boots thudded against the ground. Krista's eyes, now open, darted around in the dark in panic. She was about to struggle, but froze when the hand covering her mouth tightened almost painfully.

"She is not here?"

"If she was here would I ask about her?"

The second person huffed. "She did not come back with the girl?"

The one holding onto Krista shrugged. "Might not have. Let's take the human. Ymir will come to us then."

Krista gasped when strong arms pulled her out of the bed. She was pressed to an almost flat chest and struggled violently. "Let me go!" she mumbled against the hand, even when the arm wrapped around her body tightened painfully around her ribs.

"Stop struggling!"

Krista kicked and twisted her body, tears collecting in her eyes in fright. These people were after Ymir, but Ymir wasn't here. "Ymir!" Krista yelled loudly the second the hand slipped from her mouth. She wasn't aware that she had uttered Ymir's name—all she knew was the panic in her veins and the desperate desire to be saved by the only one that could do it.

Maybe if she yelled, maybe if she screamed her name then Ymir would come running. The brunette would sense her distress and appear in a bellow of steam, angry and ready to take these people on.

Krista took a breath to yell again but the hand clamped down on her mouth again and the arm tightened until she couldn't breathe. However heavy footsteps thundered down the hall, and Krista's heart began to race. Did her calling work? Was Ymir coming to her rescue?

Nanaba burst through the door, boxers and t-shirt crumpled, hair sticking up in all places and eyes wide with shock. She noticed the strangers in the bedroom, Krista in one of their arms, and clenched her teeth hard. The blonde took quick action and dove for the one holding Krista, but was stopped when the second suddenly grabbed her, punched her once in the stomach and then threw her to the ground.

"Take her too," one of them said.

Krista stared at Nanaba's form in panic. No—this wasn't happening. Who were these people?

_Nanaba,_ Krista thought, _wake up, please! Wake up and stop these people! _

But her internal voice did not reach Nanaba's unconscious form. The intruders headed towards the window from where they had entered. Krista caught a glimpse of their faces in the passing moonlight and went rigid.

Red and black eyes, extended fangs, horns—they were demons.

Krista struggled again, fear gripping her tightly. She became too much of a nuisance, and before they made it to the street a fist crashed into Krista's stomach and the life left her eyes as her body seized, her eyes bulged and then she slumped forward—out cold.

XxX

When Krista came to, it was caused by a tremendous aching in her arms. The pain was enough to pull her out of a forced sleep, and her mind immediately jumped in panic. Realization and memory dawned on her, and Krista's eyes shot open in fright. Her heart thudded painfully, and Krista noticed in shock that she was chained by the arms, feet dangling above the ground.

"Don't freak out," a voice spoke beside her.

Krista turned sharply and regretted the action. It caused her aching shoulders to hurt further, and she grunted at the pain. When the pain subsided, she cracked her eyes open again. Nanaba hung beside her, just out of her reach. Though the blonde was tall enough that she could stand on the ground, and was not forced to hang there.

"Where are we?" Krista asked, barely above a whisper. Her throat felt tight and dry, as did her mouth. It was obvious that she hadn't drunk anything in too long.

"I don't know," Nanaba said. "I woke up a little while ago. There are no windows, so I don't know what time it is. Did you wake up when we were brought here?"

Krista shook her head. "This is the first time I've woken."

Nanaba cursed softly. "Who the hell were those people?"

"Demons," Krista answered. "They are after Ymir."

The door opened then and they quickly grew silent. No light flooded in, and it appeared that the hallway had no windows either. If it was light out, then they would still not know it.

A short, blonde woman walked in. Her blue eyes cut through them like ice, and Krista felt the sudden urge to lean away and struggle.

"Good, you are awake," she said. Her voice was cold and hard. She walked over to one end of the room to retrieve a metal chair there, and then set it up in front of Nanaba and Krista. She took a seat, and trained her hard eyes on them.

Though she was short, she was in no way small. Her shoulders displayed her immense muscle and strength, as did the way her biceps strained against the fabric of her dark uniform blazer. The only other prominent feature of hers was a large nose, but it only lent to the startling image that she held. Krista was already afraid.

"What do you want with us?" Nanaba asked her.

The woman did not look at her. "My name is Aleksandr Leonhardt. We promise not to hurt you if you give us what we want." She stared into Krista's eyes, unwavering even when Krista's lower lip began to tremble. "Where is the Lucifer-born?"

Krista swallowed. She would not tell them. Though she was terrified out of her mind, she refused to give Ymir up. She did not know what these people wanted with her, but surely it wasn't anything good considering how they had no qualms about kidnapping them.

Aleksandr sighed and stood from her seat. She pulled a knife from her back and then approached Nanaba.

"What are you doing?" Nanaba demanded.

Aleksandr grabbed Nanaba roughly by the jaw, having to stand on her toes to do so, and roughly pulled her down so that she did not have to lean upwards. "Where is the Lucifer-born?" she asked again, directed at Krista. She pressed the knife to Nanaba's cheek, eyes turned and looking at the little blonde watching her.

"I don't know," Krista said, trembling.

Aleksandr's eyes narrowed. She did not hesitate and slashed a deep line down Nanaba's face. Nanaba roared in pain and kicked forward, though it did not affect Aleksandr at all.

Krista's eyes filled up with tears. "You said you wouldn't harm us!" she yelled. "I don't know where Ymir is, okay? I really don't know! So please let us go. You're wasting your time."

Blood dripped steadily down Nanaba's face and Aleksandr cast her a disgusted look. When she turned back to Krista, her eyes were colder yet. "I promised not to hurt _you._" She sheathed her knife again and placed the chair back where she had found it. "We will leave you here until you decide your friend's life is worth revealing the Lucifer-born." She left through the door, a loud clang of metal echoing in her wake.

"Nanaba!" Krista exclaimed. She twisted around, trying to reach the tall blonde, but only succeeded in nearly dislocating her shoulders.

"I'll be fine," Nanaba hissed. She used her upper body strength to pull herself up enough to wipe her face on the sleeve of her shirt. It stung badly, and she clenched her teeth hard. At least it wasn't _that_ deep, but it was still bleeding, and her clothes were getting ruined. "What do they want with Ymir?"

"I don't know. We can't tell them anything!"

Nanaba sighed. "It's not like we know where she is, anyway. But I think you're right. They're willing to torture me to get you to speak. They can't have good intentions."

Krista watched Nanaba struggle with the blood for a while. She had even forgotten her thirst. All she could focus on was her intense worry for Nanaba, and the fear of the woman coming back. Another question stayed with her, though—was Aleksandr a demon? She didn't seem as large as what Krista thought demons were.

Krista would have to wait and see. For now she tried to think of a way to get them out of there. If only Ymir had been with her, then they wouldn't have even been taken. Anger at Ymir filled her chest, as well as longing and sadness.

_Ymir, what if I die here? What if you never know what happened to me? _

She slumped forward, suddenly feeling hopeless. Without Ymir, surely there was no way out of this.

XxX

The next time Aleksandr visited them, days could have passed, or hours. Neither Krista nor Nanaba were sure, as time seemed to either stop entirely, or flow too quickly.

The blonde woman was just as harsh, just as cold. She took a seat where she had before and stared into Krista's tired eyes. "Where is the Lucifer-born?" she asked.

Nanaba watched, sweat collecting on her forehead. She knew how this would end, but still hoped that maybe it wouldn't turn violent.

Krista, trembling, swallowed. "I…" She took a deep breath and cast a glance at Nanaba. "What do you want with her, anyway?" If she changed the topic, then maybe Aleksandr wouldn't hurt Nanaba.

The blonde woman's eyes clouded over in red and black. She stood, and as she did her form seemed to grow with her. She was no longer shorter than Nanaba, and now her skin was darkened almost to red.

"That is of none of your concern."

"I won't tell you unless you tell me!"

Aleksandr had begun heading towards Nanaba, but she then turned back to Krista. "If I answer you, will you answer me?" she asked.

Krista nodded fervently. "Yes! Just please, talk to me. Don't hurt Nanaba."

Aleksandr nodded, returning to her human form, and took a seat once more. "We wish to use the Lucifer-born to bring about a new era." Her voice and expression remained bored, cold. She folded her arms across her chest and waited, apparently done with her answer and expecting one in return.

"A new era?" Krista questioned, brows furrowed. Were these people responsible for Ymir's dreams, then? Did they want the end of the world?

"One question for one question," Aleksandr warned.

Krista knew that she did not have a choice. "W-we were in Kenda for a bit, but then Ymir called her sister to fetch me, and I was brought back home. I don't know where Ymir is."

Aleksandr sat and stared for a few more minutes, nodded once and then left the room. The door remained open behind her and a few moments later a woman stepped in with a tray of food and water. Nanaba and Krista's stomachs grumbled together and their mouths watered.

The woman had black hair, and she placed the tray down on the chair without a word. Her expression was blank, even as she assisted in helping them drink and eat, her touch was rough and she said not one word. She stitched the wound on Nanaba's cheek, cleaned the blood from her as well and then collected the tray to leave. Behind her the door clinked shut.

Nanaba winced in pain and slumped forward, exhausted. Neither of them had slept yet, but the urge to simply pass out was great. It would be more difficult for Krista, since her shoulders ached without rest. However, before she knew it she was the first to nod off into sleep, head resting against her arm. Her light breathing eased Nanaba to sleep as well.

The two had unpleasant nightmares, and would have woken anyway before they were violently brought back to the world of the living. Icy water splashed over them, and they yelled out in pain and surprise.

"Wake up!" Aleksandr roared. She roughly grabbed a hold of Krista's jaw and forced her gaze upwards. "I assume you've enjoyed your stay," she said dryly. She shot a look to Nanaba, grimaced at her ragged appearance, and then sighed. "Release her," she ordered.

Two from the doorway nodded and entered. They made sure to lock the door behind them and easily got Nanaba about of her restraints. Unfortunately the tall blonde was too tired to react, and so she merely fell to the floor once the chains no longer supported her weight. One of the women slipped her arms around her torso and tugged her up, and the other merely stood by and waited.

"Now, where is the Lucifer-born?" Aleksandr asked Krista.

Panic filled Krista's veins. "I already told you! I don't know!"

Aleksandr inclined her head and suddenly one of the women sent a punch into Nanaba's stomach. The blonde released a wheeze of absolute pain and would have slumped forward, but her jaw was caught and then punched. She crumbled to the ground where she curled into a ball, coughing and gasping desperately for air.

"Where is the Lucifer-born?" Aleksandr demanded once more.

Krista felt tears streak down her face. "I…" She looked to Nanaba, heart dampened. "I don't know." She said. "Please, I'm telling you the truth." Aleksandr's grip on her jaw tightened and Krista gasped lightly.

"Beat her four more times," Aleksandr ordered. She released Krista and then left the room, footsteps heavy as she walked. When the door slammed shut behind her, Krista forced herself to look away as Nanaba was beaten as instructed and then chained up once more. It was only after they had left and Nanaba had stopped coughing and wheezing, that Krista looked her way.

Her eye was beginning to swell, and multiple bruises lined Nanaba's cheek and neck. She had her head bowed, blood dripping from her broken nose and split lip, dripping from her chin.

"It's okay," she gasped. "It's not your fault."

Krista's eyes filled with new tears. "I'm so sorry Nanaba," she uttered brokenly. "I don't know what's going on."

Nanaba shook her head. "Don't apologise. You're telling them the truth." She coughed once, flecks of blood falling to her feet. Though it was easier to breathe again, the pain was becoming worse.

Krista could say no more. Because of her Nanaba had ended up in this situation. Once again Krista wished for Ymir's presence, and for Ymir to swoop in and save them.

She would not stop to realize that Ymir would not come to save them, and the situation was hopeless even if she had.

XxX

The encounters went much the same. Neither knew the passing of time, and only understood the fact that it had passed. Occasionally the same woman would visit with food and bread. She would feed them, clean them and clothe them when they had messed themselves. Sleeping was too painful, and so they barely managed much of it. Nanaba's pain had lessened before Aleksandr had visited again.

The blonde woman had a routine. She would enter, approach Krista and speak to her only, demanding to know where Ymir was. Krista would reply the same way—that she didn't know. Many tortures would therefore be inflicted on Nanaba, while Krista watched and yelled for them to stop.

Krista lost count of how many times the encounters had happened, and she grew a heavy fear of the sound of the door opening. When the woman came in to feed them, Krista had already begun to cry. Never had she felt so hopeless and powerless.

Along the horrid days she had begun to slowly realize that as much as she hoped for it, and as many times as she dreamt it, Ymir would not show up. Ymir wasn't coming. Somehow they would either be released, or killed. At times Nanaba begged for the latter. Her many cuts and bruises ached and her body struggled to remain upright due to her exhaustion.

After the last interrogation, Nanaba having to endure more punches to her gut, Krista refused to cry. Though Nanaba's pained gasps sent guilt through her in heaps, she was becoming desperate for hope. Since that day she began to observe her surroundings. She watched the woman that fed them closely, examined the mechanism of the door. There was also only one air vent on the ceiling, to her right, and the metal chair that always remained leaning on the wall opposite from where they hung.

Slowly Krista formulated her plan. She did not tell Nanaba of it until it was closing in on when Aleksandr would visit them once more. Hesitantly, Krista craned her neck to see Nanaba's defeated form.

"Nanaba," she whispered. "Are you awake?"

Chains clanged as Nanaba twisted her body to face Krista. Her face, no longer swollen, was mottled with bruises and dried blood. Even though she was exhausted, hearing Krista speak after so long seemed to spark the fire behind her eyes.

"I have a plan," Krista explained. "When Aleksandr leaves, the woman always shows up to feed us. This time when she comes, I'll need you to wrap your legs around her. While you have her I'll use my feet to get the keys strapped to her belt. Can you do that?"

Nanaba licked her cracked lips. "Yeah, I can. What next?"

"You knock her out and take the keys from me. We get out of these chains, and then we use that chair to get into the air vent. If we can somehow make it out of here, then we can run away."

Nanaba looked towards the chair, then the vent. The plan didn't guarantee success, but it was definitely something—they had lacked any substantial hope since the first beating. Nanaba felt fired up, and so she grinned and nodded.

"Sounds like a brilliant plan. All we can do is try."

Krista offered a reassuring smile. Truthfully, she was terrified. But she knew that they had to at least try. If they were going to be killed anyway, then they should at least have attempted to escape.

Some hours passed before Aleksandr finally visited them. Unlike the other times, Krista wasn't as frightened. She had become accustomed to looking at the woman's stoic face, and being forced to look into her icy eyes.

Aleksandr approached her as usual, and luckily no other demons accompanied her. This meant that Nanaba's punishment would be administered herself, and Aleksandr hated using heavy force.

Nanaba had visibly relaxed, though her shoulder muscles were still tensing every so often.

"Good evening," Aleksandr said in mock greeting. She swept her eyes over their forms, frowning. "You both stink," she said.

Krista was tempted to retort that of course they would stink if they were forced to shit themselves until someone was forced to clean them. But she kept her tongue, more than aware that voicing her thoughts might even get them killed.

"You know why I am here," Aleksandr began. "Where is the Lucifer-born?"

Krista took a breath. "I left her in Kenda. I do not know where she is from there."

Aleksandr narrowed her eyes. "We have checked countless times, and there is no trace of her there. I will ask only one more time. Where is the Lucifer-born?"

Krista sent Nanaba an apologetic gaze and bit into her lip until it bled. Nanaba smiled back sadly. She nodded once, letting Krista know that it was okay.

"I d-don't know," Krista finally answered.

Aleksandr sucked in a deep, angry breath. She had dark circles underneath her eyes, indicating that she hadn't been sleeping well lately. Krista wondered if it was because of them or other struggles. Whatever it was, it was causing Aleksandr extra stress, enough that the blonde had to quietly regain her cool before she decided on what to do.

"You disappoint me every single time," she hissed lowly. She looked to Nanaba, and it seemed that she was simply too exhausted to even attempt to hurt her. So Aleksandr headed for the door, and threw over her shoulder, "tomorrow we will begin to chop fingers off. I am not playing a game with you. Enjoy your peace for the night, while it lasts."

Nanaba swallowed loudly and cast Krista a glance. The woman that fed them entered then, just as Krista had predicted, and Krista nodded once, slowly, to let Nanaba know that they were definitely still doing this.

The woman, looking as bored and irritated as she did every time, approached Nanaba first with a cup of water. Before she could lift it to the blonde's lips Nanaba's legs wrapped around her throat. It took a lot of strength that Nanaba didn't really have, but the fear of Aleksandr's promise, and the hope of leaving sent adrenalin through Nanaba's system. It allowed her the feat.

Krista jumped into action then and swung her body. The woman struggled, but by some miracle she managed to catch the ring of keys between her toes. Nanaba then twisted her neck, not even caring if she'd just killed the woman, and accepted the keys from the smaller blonde. After doing some stretches, Nanaba managed to unlock her chains, and then rushed to do the same for Krista.

At first Krista could not stand, since her legs were numb and weak. Her shoulders ached so much that she almost began to cry. But both of them clenched their teeth tightly and forced their bodies to move. Nanaba situated the chair and climbed onto it. She popped the vent open and gestured for Krista to approach her.

"I'll lift you in first," she said. Krista didn't hesitate and through sheer will made it into the vent. Nanaba went next, and Krista assisted in pulling her in. They closed the vent, and then followed a pale shaft of light through various bends and twists. They made sure to keep their crawling quiet, but someone was bound to have discovered their escape by now.

Suddenly an alarm began, and both blondes froze in absolute panic. They heard footsteps thundering below them, as well as yelling. It sounded as though something had just happened somewhere behind them, and neither wanted to wait and see if it was because of them.

Krista found the opening that led to the side of the building, and forced the metal covering off. It clattered loudly to the cement floor below, and it caused them to cringe.

"It's a long drop down," Krista told Nanaba. "What do we do?"

Nanaba would have liked to see for herself, but couldn't due to the small space they were in. The adrenalin was still coursing through her veins, so her mind still raced. "Is there maybe a large dustbin?"

Krista leaned further in to check, and felt relieved that there was. "Yeah, just below us."

Nanaba sighed in relief. "Thank god. Krista, you're gonna have to drop down into it."

"What?!" Krista turned to Nanaba, panicked.

"It's better than the floor."

Krista swallowed and nodded. She couldn't let her fear stop them now. Nanaba would be tortured in much more horrid ways if they did not escape now, so the little blonde grappled with her shredded courage and managed to do as Nanaba had instructed. Luckily the fall hadn't been that long, and the landing not as painful as Krista had expected. She pulled her body out of the bin in time, and helped Nanaba out after she dropped in as well.

Unfortunately they couldn't stop to enjoy the fresh air, because the sirens from inside frightened them and Nanaba urge that they continue on. They seemed to be in an empty courtyard, but the place was surrounded by tall wire fences. It was too tall to scale, and the top was layered with razor sharp barbs.

"Maybe we can find a way under it," Krista suggested. She took Nanaba's shaking hand and gently pulled her over to the edge of the gate. There she released her, and then began prodding along the metal. It shook lightly, but no one had noticed them yet. In fact, it seemed something serious was going on. Distant yelling echoed around them. It all sounded too serious to be about them, but still, Nanaba kept a diligent eye around them.

"Oh my god, I found it!" Krista exclaimed. She pulled at the gate and it almost lifted perfectly up at them. It seemed that it had been used often, and was hidden properly that no one noticed the stretching in the wires. "Quickly!"

Nanaba dropped down onto her stomach and crawled underneath the gate. Once on the other side she held it up, and Krista copied her actions. She dropped the gate after Krista was safe, and then the two began to run as quickly as they could, far away from the building they had been captive in for however much time had passed.

They soon found a highway beyond some trees, and after hours of walking, were picked up by an elderly couple. From there they were rushed to a hospital, and then Krista and Nanaba's parents were both contacted, and chaos ensued.

XxX

They had been captive for a month.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Krista still couldn't wrap her head around it. Everyone had panicked, some had spread awful rumours, and the police had been contacted. When they had finally been contacted of Krista and Nanaba's discovery, the local news had been on the story like rabid dogs.

"Yeah, fine. Could you get me a bottle of water, though?"

Krista nodded hurriedly. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to Nanaba's forehead. The blonde was snug in a hospital bed, arm in a sling and bandages around her face and neck. She had many broken ribs, too, and had been in the hospital since their arrival a week ago.

The small blonde left Nanaba's side to find a vending machine. Their families were at home. They visited frequently, but Krista was the only one to demand that she stay. Her guilt and worry for Nanaba kept her by her side, and most of her knew that Nanaba would be too frightened alone, too. Krista was the only one that had suffered the horrors with her. They both suffered from nightmares, and when Nanaba woke screaming, Krista was the only one that could comfort her.

Krista found the vending machine a floor down, and slipped her money into it. She thought over everything as she selected a bottle of water.

In the end, Ymir hadn't been there. The brunette hadn't even known that Krista was in danger. Krista knew that, deep down, she had always understood that Ymir would no longer be there. In the beginning she had so desperately clung to the unhealthy obsession that Ymir would show up out of nowhere. If she had remained thinking that way, then they would not have escaped

The bottle dropped, and Krista bent to retrieve it. It was cold, and she walked slowly back to Nanaba.

Being through such terror, and on the possible brink of death, had allowed Krista to feel just an inkling of what had been Ymir's life. She felt that she understood Ymir's pain a little better now, and had decided to no longer feel anger towards the brunette for leaving.

As Ymir had said; _"We need to break on our own so that we can fix ourselves."_

She had spent an entire month thinking about Ymir, cursing her, understanding her, dreaming of her and finally forgiving her. That month had broken her, and she, as well as Nanaba, would take many months more to fix themselves after that.

Ymir couldn't fix her—she wouldn't. Ymir was gone, and she would most likely not return. Though Krista still cried at night, and her heart ached for the one she loved, she knew—she knew that all she had left was to accept, and move on.

"I got your water!" Krista exclaimed as she entered the room.

Nanaba turned from watching the sunset and smiled. "Thanks," she said as she reached out and took it. "It still feels weird to watch the sun. We were only gone for a month, but it felt like years."

Krista took her permanent seat and turned with Nanaba to look at the descending sun. "Yeah, I feel like that too."

"Looking at the sun makes me feel like I can almost close my eyes and not feel terror at the sound of an opening door."

Krista swallowed. Her heart beat painfully. "Or that we won't be woken suddenly by yelling."

Nanaba only nodded. She rubbed a hand over her bandaged wrist, biting her lip. She relaxed eventually, and released a long sigh. No more words left them as the sun continued to disappear into darkness. They watched it in silence.

Krista wondered where Ymir was, and hoped with all her heart, that where ever she was, she was getting stronger. If those people were still after her, then Ymir would need it.

_I love you,_ Krista thought passionately. Images of Ymir's smile filled her mind, and her heart burnt both pleasantly and painfully. _Even now, I still love you. If I had the choice, I'd love you to the end of time._

As the last of the sun's rays winked out, Krista had the odd sensation that Ymir was somewhere out there watching the sun too. She pressed a hand to her chest. _I love you too, squirt. You were the only thing keeping me human._

A tear slipped down Krista's cheek, and Nanaba didn't notice it. Despite the pain, Krista smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

**Playlist for chapter VII: **Time That Remains by Three Days Grace.

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><p><strong>VII<strong>

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><p>Ymir's eyes snapped open and she shot up in bed, hand pressed to her chest where her heart beat too hard. She gasped loudly, eyes blinking rapidly to keep the tears out of her eyes.<p>

_What the hell?_ she thought, brows furrowing. _Was I crying?_

When she lifted a finger to touch her cheek, she felt slight wetness and flinched. Sure enough there were tears streaming down her face, and with a sigh she wiped the tears from her face before collapsing down onto her back.

"Shit," she muttered softly.

It was still dark but warm, and she pressed a hand to her bare stomach. It was too warm for clothes, so she slept in nothing but boy shorts. Since getting to Anna, Ymir had undergone regular treatment with blood transfusions, a healthier diet and exercise. It had just been a month after arriving, and Ymir still felt like she was in a strange place even though she had warmed up to Amir considerably. Going through life without a proper parent for so long left her unequipped with the emotions to deal with one now. But Amir was really trying, and Ymir appreciated her for that.

Ymir found herself longing for Amir in the midst of her tears, so she shakily got onto her feet and searched for her discarded clothing. The house was large but Ymir had wondered around long enough in it to know her way around, so she found the kitchen with ease. Amir didn't seem to be up, and so Ymir moodily pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water.

Thanks to the treatment, she hadn't been sick in two weeks. Hanji had said that it would take a while for the effects of whatever drug they had put into Ymir to subside. Slowly but steadily Ymir could feel more strength seep into her body. She was no longer plagued by the demon nightmares—though ones of Krista remained—and her markings didn't burn. In fact, Hanji had promised that they would never grow again, and Ymir was grateful for that.

Ymir sighed and leaned against the counter. She stared into the glass at her reflection, thinking of Krista. Was the blonde okay?

"You thinking of the blonde again?"

Ymir looked up and found Amir standing in the doorway in a t-shirt and boxers. "You were up?"

Amir pushed off from the door and took the glass from Ymir's hand to drink the remains of the water. "I felt needed," she said with a grin, "So I woke up instinctually and followed your scent here."

Ymir smiled lightly but did not admit that she had hoped Amir would find her.

"How are you feeling?" Amir asked. She dropped the glass in the sink and placed a warm hand on Ymir's shoulder.

"Hanji's treatment is helping," Ymir answered. "I feel stronger. There's no pain anymore and I don't feel like I'm about to change at any second."

Amir smiled happily. She reached down to playfully poke Ymir's stomach. "Well, when you're all better and we've sealed you up, I'll take you over to our training grounds."

Ymir's eyes narrowed and she swatted Amir's hand away. "Stop doing that," she growled, ignoring the chuckle sent her way. "And training for what?"

Amir clasped her hands together to keep from touching Ymir again, but lost control of herself and pulled the young brunette into her arms. "We need to teach you how to use and control your true form," Amir explained into her shoulder.

Ymir was used to the sudden embraces, so she did not tense like she would have. Instead she sighed, rolled her eyes and hugged Amir in return. "Do you really have to hug me every chance you get?"

Amir nodded. "I've missed out on eighteen years of hugs."

Ymir grew silent, and then Amir felt a sudden tightening of the hug. The taller brunette almost burst into tears, and she took a shaky breath as she lifted Ymir fully off of the ground, ignoring her protests.

"Hey! Let me down!" Ymir yelled, eyebrow beginning to tick.

Amir laughed and threw Ymir over her shoulder and then she trudged back towards Ymir's room. "You, kiddo, need to rest. No more wondering around at three in the morning."

Ymir continued to struggle. "Let me down, damnit!"

"Not if you ask that way."

"I swear to god."

"Language, Ymir. I'm still your father."

"Then let me down, _father._"

Amir chuckled, clearly not going to. They passed by Ilse and Hanji's bedroom.

"Dad!" Ymir yelled more out of reflex. She flushed lightly at having called Amir that. It did the trick though, and Amir paused almost immediately to drop Ymir back down onto her feet. Unfortunately Ymir had been pretty loud, and so the bedroom door swung open and Ilse appeared by the doorway, mostly nude except for Hanji's shirt draped over her torso.

"Really?" she asked. "Having a father-daughter moment in front of my door?"

Amir straightened and looked to Ilse. "Did you hear that?!"

"Hear what?" Hanji asked, appearing behind Ilse. She wrapped her arms around the freckled woman and pressed a sleepy kiss to her cheek.

"She called me dad," Amir told them, turning to grin proudly over at Ymir.

Ymir flushed further and rolled her eyes. "You're all irritating as hell," she growled in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. She quickly turned and stomped down the hallway to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Hanji tsked and Ilse turned to laugh against her shoulder. "Ymir has such a fiery personality," the bespectacled woman said.

Amir sighed, looking where Ymir had disappeared to. "She reminds me so much of Damian."

Ilse groaned lightly. "Can we continue with this tomorrow? I was having the best dream." She turned to look at Amir, and smiled. "Go to your daughter, you big mush ball. Leave us to sleep."

Hanji shrugged her shoulders at Amir's gaze and allowed Ilse to drag her back off to bed. Amir waited until they had shut the door, and then she calmly walked over to Ymir's room. She could hear pacing from inside, and knocked only once before she entered.

"You okay?" she asked.

Ymir paused by the window and exhaled lightly. She crossed her arms over her chest, wishing that she could just go back to sleep, but knowing that she was far too wound up. "Not really," she said.

Amir could correctly guess the reason, so she took a seat on the bed and pulled her legs up underneath her. "Heartbreak, huh?"

Ymir rubbed at her chest and nodded. "I miss her."

"And I'm sure she misses you. Why don't you call her?"

Ymir sent Amir a glance. "I can't just call her like nothing happened."

Amir could see herself in Ymir's sorrowful gaze, and it made her feel all the more relieved to actually _be there_ for her child in a time of need. "Come here," she said softly, arms outstretched towards Ymir.

Ymir only hesitated for a moment, but then she gave in and sat down beside her father. She sighed lightly when those warm, secure arms encircled her, and found herself leaning into Amir for comfort. "It hurts," she admitted softly.

"Love always hurts, kids," Amir told her. "But through it we find the strength to endure."

Ymir felt a question press at the tip of her tongue but held it. She was hesitant to ask, scared of revealing herself. But Amir was watching her closely and seemed to sense the young brunette's need to know something that she was too afraid to ask.

"You can talk to me, Ymir." Amir told her. "I love you. I'm your dad and I'd never make you feel ashamed or invalid for wanting to know something. Even if you need someone to kick the crap out of, I'm here if you need me."

Ymir's eyebrow lifted. "You'd let me kick you?"

"Only if you desperately need it," Amir agreed. "But not for the hell of it."

Ymir snorted in amusement, but then grew silent and serious, leaning a little more firmly against Amir's solid form. "I, um…"

"I'm all ears."

"Was it… uh… does it still hurt for you? About mo—Damian?" She almost slipped, but reined her tongue in just at the last moment. However, a light blush still crept along her cheeks and she hated but loved the sensation of childishness that filled her—a need to be held and comforted, loved and supported. It was scary enough that Ymir couldn't fully bask in it.

Amir shrugged. "It did hurt a lot when your mother left. But she left to find you, so I understand her motivations. She's the only person I've ever loved and even if she stays away for as long as she can, I'll always love her and wait until she returns. Especially now. But there is no more need to wait. With you here we can look for her."

Ymir perked, sitting up and away from Amir's embrace. "Really?"

"We have a few leads, yes. Ilse has become really skilled at hacking and tracking. She's got Damian to thank for that."

"Is she okay?"

"Who? Your mother?"

"Um, yeah."

"Physically she's fine, but in danger. Emotionally I can't say. She lost her baby after just meeting her. Damian had it worse than I did."

For the first time Ymir felt a flicker of guilt. Her parents had spent her entire life searching for her, baring the guilt of letting her be subject to kidnap and emotional torment. Had she known then what she knew now, Ymir would have never cursed the people that had made her; would never have wished her suffering upon them—she now knew that they had suffered even more than she had. It was these thoughts that made a lump form in Ymir's throat, and once more thoughts of Krista crept in as she wondered if the blonde was as loyal and patient. Would Krista wait for her, while she got her head and body together? Part of Ymir immediately shouted no. How could she? All Ymir had ever been was a headache, and that wasn't thought out of some sense of self hatred. Ymir knew that she had been a heavy burden for Krista to carry, no matter how many times the little blonde exclaimed that she did not mind. The emotional weight had been there. Now lifted from it, surely Krista would get over her foolish infatuation and seek something healthy. Ymir wanted to be that person for her, but right now she wasn't.

"Ymir, we won't force to you stay here. All we desperately need to do is seal your power. Once that's done, if you want to, you can leave and go back to your adopted family, and Krista."

Ymir sighed and rubbed at her face. Suddenly it felt uncomfortably cold. "No," she said. "If I ever want to be someone worth something I need to figure myself out. I can't do that without you." _And a big part of me isn't ready to leave you yet. I don't even really know you, but I need to._ The last part she dare not voice, because her quivering heart was already bombarded with too many doubts and too much pain.

Amir's pleased smile made Ymir feel better. "That's great!" She hugged Ymir to her, strong arms locking around Ymir's back and preventing the young brunette from breaking away if she had wanted to. Ymir didn't. In a move that surprised, she gave Amir just as enthusiastic a hug, and sighed lightly as if in exasperation. "When your body is rid of that poison and you're healthy again, Hanji and I will perform the ritual."

"How long will that take?"

Amir finally released her daughter, grinning stupidly even though the conversation was still serious. "We'll ask Glasses tomorrow. For now, get back to sleep and give that poor brain of yours some rest."

Ymir huffed, no longer inclined to do so. She had been planning on going to sleep anyway, but now that Amir had told her to, she felt no desire. "I'll sleep when I want to."

Amir laughed as she stood from the bed. She gave Ymir a loving pat on the head and then headed for the door, stretching and yawning loudly as she did. Ymir realized then that Amir was just as tired but had been hiding it. With a great heave of a sigh, and a slight twist of her gut, Ymir called out for Amir to stop.

Amir paused and glanced over her shoulder. "Need something else, kiddo?"

"It's, um…" Ymir looked down at her lap. "I'm lonely. Stay?" The admission was quiet, small. Ymir looked nothing like her normally imposing self, and she looked very much the small child she felt like. Her spirit lifted when Amir climbed onto the bed and then roughly pulled her into another comforting hug.

"Right now, it's you and me until we get your mom back," Amir murmured softly. "Can you hold out until then?"

Ymir's eyes widened slightly. She knew then that Amir could tell—she knew that Ymir was afraid but desperate to fill the hole that had been in her heart for so long.

"Will _you?"_

Amir appreciated the subtle dodge, so she let the conversation slide and relaxed. Sighing lightly, she closed her eyes. A moment later, as she was about to drop off to sleep, she felt Ymir's cheek press against her chest. Just as a smile flashed across her lips, Ymir spoke softly.

"Goodnight, Amir." There was a pregnant pause. "Dad." And then she relaxed as well, breathing evening out until she was asleep.

Amir lifted an arm to drape it over her eyes, hiding the painful tears that spilled across her cheeks. She then had no choice but to press her palm against her mouth to quiet her sobs, and hoped with all her might that the shaking of her shoulders would not wake the very vulnerable Ymir urging comfort from her. Amir wished that Damian was there, to hold her and let her cry. But she wasn't, and Ymir was. That much gave her enough support to quiet the chokes leaving her throat, but her eyes did not dry. Amir fell asleep to her tears, and even as she slept, a few more slipped out and moistened the pillow underneath her head.

XxX

It was a wonderful relief to finally step out of the stuffy hospital and into the fresh afternoon air. Nanaba still had her arm in a sling and stitches that needed removing, but she felt leagues better than she had a week ago. Now was time for her to move forward and attempt to pick up her broken emotions. At least she had someone by her side that knew how to help.

Krista smiled softly as she spotted Nanaba leaving through the hospital's double doors. She pushed away from the car—borrowed from her parents—and stepped forward to offer Nanaba a hand if she needed it. Nanaba declined it politely with the shake of her head and leaned down to give the small blonde a one armed hug.

"It feels great to get out of that prison."

Krista sighed in understanding and straightened when they parted. "It must be. I managed to convince both of our parents that am capable of bringing you home. How do you feel?"

Nanaba had the strange urge to lie, but shook her head and decided that of all people, Krista was the most reliable person she had. Besides, holding it all in would do more damage than not. "Besides the nightmares? Fantastic."

Krista's smile faltered and then dropped. She opened the door for Nanaba, allowing the tall blonde to close it herself, and then headed to the driver's side. She said nothing as she started the car and continued her silence as they left the street, heading for Nanaba's home. Eventually Nanaba grew uncomfortable with the silence.

"How are you doing, Krista?" Krista had been careful of Nanaba's feelings ever since they had been taken, and even though Nanaba had received most of the torture, she knew that Krista had dealt with painful emotions the entire time. Emotional wounds could be just as great as physical ones, and they often took longer to heal.

Krista shrugged. "I wake up screaming. I think my parents are getting sick of it. They want me to see a shrink, but I can't. Not when half of the story is too difficult to believe. They'll have me admitted to the nearest facility."

Nanaba flinched. She understood entirely. Though Ymir's weirdness had allowed her family some immunity to it, Nanaba was sure that they wouldn't take too kindly to her shouting about strange creatures known as demons. Nanaba wondered if there would ever be anyone other than Krista that would believe her, and felt pity for the little blonde if she felt just as alone. But that didn't compare to how much pain Ymir must have felt. Nanaba had never clued in.

Since Ymir had joined their family, the brunette had been bitter and harsh. Nanaba had taken an instant liking to her despite the fact that Ymir insulted her with everything under the sun whenever the blonde had tried to befriend her. It had taken a while until Ymir learnt to simply tolerate her existence. Nanaba was sorely jealous of Krista for having been allowed so close to Ymir's heart—she knew that it was a place she would never be allowed to visit. At least Ymir had someone, she knew. Someone was better than simply herself.

Krista gave Nanaba a sidelong look, mulling something over that had been bothering her for a while, even when they had been captive and chained. "Nanaba," she started lightly, eyes returning to the road. "There's something I've been wondering."

"Hmm?"

"When I told you about Ymir, why did you accept it so easily? There must have been a big part of you that thought I was crazy."

Nanaba turned to stare out of the window, her free hand gripping onto the fabric of her pants. "I watched Ymir a lot," she admitted. Krista's eyes widened but she quickly schooled her expression. "She fascinated me from the beginning. Like this enigmatic puzzle screaming to be solved. But she was terrible at building relationships. For most of our life together, Ymir was cursing my existence. She eventually learnt how to tolerate me, but it never went farther than that." She sighed sadly. "Because of my curiosity I watched her to try and get some sort of idea of what kind of person she was."

_Nanaba didn't want to admit that what she was doing was bizarre. But she crept forward anyway, desperate to step into Ymir's room for the first time. Her parents had brought the brunette home only two months ago, and though Nanaba had been inside of the empty room before, she hadn't entered it when it became Ymir's. Ymir was strange and difficult, and Nanaba wanted to know more about her. She wanted to see what made Ymir, _Ymir._ The only thing she could think of to do was to sneak into her room. She was supposed to be at school, but her parents weren't home and no one would know. It wasn't like she had a chance when Ymir was home, anyway. _

_When she entered the room she was surprised and concerned when nothing but darkness greeted her. Apparently Ymir had asked for the thickest, darkest curtains that assured not one ray of light would get through. Nanaba worried that she would trip over herself, and hoped that Ymir was less of a mess regarding the state of her room. But she made it some way into the room without incident when she felt the strange, terrifying sensation of someone watching her. There was no one but her, she was sure, but she looked around just in case despite not being able to see anything._

_To the right corner of the room something caught Nanaba's attention. She looked there and froze, blooding rushing and freezing at the same moment. Two red orbs stared at her, narrowed and almost angry. At first Nanaba wondered if they were maybe from a piece of technology, maybe a TV or DVD player, but then they moved, rising higher and not separating. Nanaba stood and stared, riveted and panicked. Her heart thumped, hands clenching and throat dry. What the hell was that? _

_As they drew closer, Nanaba found that the colour changed from light red to darker red and then to black, almost shifting. The way they moved suggested footsteps, and then Nanaba heard the sound of feet on the floor and she straightened. When she heard a voice she almost bolted. _

"_What are you doing in my room?"_

_Despite it being so early still, Nanaba recognized that voice. She could not find her own and could only stare as Ymir stared at her, eyes so red that they could not be normal. When she eventually found her voice, it was strangled. _

"_I… I thought…" Her lower lip quivered. _

_Ymir seemed to growl almost inhumanly. The red eyes suddenly zoomed closer, far too quickly for Nanaba to process, and then the blonde felt large, hot hands press to her chest and push her backwards. The force was tremendous, enough to push her right out of Ymir's room and against the wall in the hallway. She landed against it painfully, wind rushing out of her lungs. When she slid to the floor, out of breath and panting, Ymir stepped up to the doorway. _

"_Leave me alone," she growled lowly. Her eyes were shifting more excitedly, and if Nanaba had been able to see her face, she would have noticed the way Ymir's jaws clenched, muscles bunching up. _

_Nanaba gasped for breath, an arm pressed to her chest. She met Ymir's gaze, fear filling her. The door then slid shut slowly, Ymir's eyes never leaving her face. Before her eyes disappeared into the darkness, Nanaba caught the sight of torment in them. And then the door was closed, and Nanaba was left reeling, in pain and baffled. There was no way to logically explained what she had just seen, and she was sure that Ymir hadn't had red eyes when she had first arrived. _

"That must have been unnerving," Krista commented softly.

Nanaba continued. "I was scared of her after that. For a few weeks I gave up my goal of getting to know her and I buried myself in school work. Ymir noticed it, but she didn't care. Honestly, she looked relieved every time I headed to my room instead of after her, thinking that she didn't sense me follow."

"And then?"

"A few months later I ended up convincing myself that I had either been dreaming, or that what I had seen was a trick of the eye. While I didn't follow Ymir anymore, I did try to befriend her again. She ignored all my efforts and insulted me when I would press too far. Ymir also bunked school a lot. When I was home early due to exams, I figured that out the hard way. That day I learnt that what I had seen wasn't my imagination. I also realized that something very bad was going on with Ymir."

_She was glad to be home early. Unfortunately she had forgotten to let her parents know and ended up having to ask a friend to drop her off at home. At least she didn't have to walk, and Nanaba was mulling that thought over gratefully as she dropped her bag down on the couch and headed into the kitchen to get a snack. Halfway there she paused upon hearing a loud thump down the hall. Nanaba's heart shot into her throat._

"_Mom?" she called out. "Dad?" She waited a while, hearing nothing more. She wondered if maybe she had imagined it, but decided against relaxing in case someone was in the house. Being decidedly braver than she naturally was, Nanaba retrieved a bat that Marco had left beside the couch, and slowly entered the hallway. There was another loud sound, like a body hitting the floor, and it came from Ymir's room. Uncertain and scared, Nanaba inched her way until she shakily threw the door open. Nanaba had to suck in a deep breath before she reached out bravely and flipped the light switch, and then she dropped the bat and hurried over to Ymir's seemingly unconscious form. _

"_Ymir!" _

_The brunette was flat on her stomach, eyes closed and lids twitching. Nanaba could see her clutching at her chest, and on the floor was a pool of blood. Panic swept through Nanaba and she hurriedly felt Ymir's throat for a pulse just in case. Ymir groaned before Nanaba felt her heartbeat, and when she did she was alarmed at how hard and quickly it was pumping._

"_Ymir! What happened?" _

_She hesitantly pushed Ymir over onto her back, scanning her skin for any injuries. She looked pointedly at Ymir's wrists for any cuts, but found none—not even scars. Thank heavens Ymir wasn't a cutter, or the suicidal type. Nanaba had heard enough stories at school about that certain topic to know that it trended among people of her age. _

"_No," Ymir said softly, painfully. She hadn't been unconscious. Her chest heaved and sweat slicked across her face. She turned onto her side, arms pressing to her stomach, and then heaved as she vomited again. Nanaba was about to turn away, but then she saw that what come up was a flood of blood and not contents of Ymir's stomach._

"_Y-Ymir, hold on. I'll call an ambulance right now. Did you eat something bad? Are you injured? What happened?"_

_Nanaba held her phone in her hand but paused before starting the call. Ymir was looking at her, eyes so tired and defeated. _

"_No," Ymir groaned. "Just leave. I'm fine."_

_Their parents had warned her that Ymir was often sick, but was this the extent of it?_

"_How the hell are you fine?" Nanaba shouted. She regretted it when Ymir flinched. "You just vomited blood. You might have internal bleeding!"_

_Ymir laughed in amusement. It seemed out of place and odd considering the circumstances. "Trust me," Ymir said. "This is not the first time and it won't be the last." She quickly deflated, once more becoming exhausted and weak. She panted softly, eyes squeezing shut. "Please, just leave me alone."_

_Nanaba didn't want to leave her lying on the floor on her own, in her blood. So she leaned down and slipped her arms underneath Ymir's body. Before she could lift her, Ymir reacted violently and shoved her away. _

"_Get the fuck away from me!" she roared, standing now. Her eyes flashed darkly and Nanaba scrambled to her feet. _

"_Let me help you!"_

"_Piss off!"_

_Ymir stalked towards her, smeared with dark blood, panting and in pain. It was a scary sight anyway, and Nanaba hurried out of the room. When the door slammed, she leaned against it, forehead pressing to the cool wood. Beyond she could hear the sounds of Ymir's pained groaning and then more retching._

_That night Nanaba asked her parents if it was normal, and they told her that it was. They looked so sad when they spoke to Nanaba about Ymir's condition, so the blonde decided not to speak to them about it again. Apparently it was worse than what she had seen, and no doctor could cure it. What Ymir had was unknown, and Nanaba became determined to figure out how to help her adoptive sister, no matter what. _

Nanaba grew silent, contemplating. She had never shared this with anyone before, and while it brought up old, painful memories, if felt good to release them.

"What else happened?" Krista asked, more curious than she should have been. She felt a strange desire to know all of what Ymir was before they met. It made her feel like she was allowed a little bit closer to Ymir.

"After that I saw her markings." Nanaba traced the pattern over her clothed chest. "It was so weird and she was so angry."

"She was like that with me too," Krista stated.

"No surprise there." She sighed. "I always wondered if I was just going crazy. No one else seemed to stop and wonder what Ymir really was, you know? When you told me, you lifted a weight from my shoulders. You finally gave a name to what I had been suspecting."

"That Ymir isn't human," Krista suggested.

Nanaba nodded. Her arm suddenly itched, and she resisted the urge to tend to the irritation.

"Was it as difficult for you?" Nanaba asked.

Krista's smile was sad. "Yeah, it was."

"But she let you in eventually."

"She did, and it was worth it."

"I miss her." Nanaba looked down at her lap sadly. "I wish that she confided in me. I could have been there for her."

Krista agreed, but she remained silent. They finally reached Nanaba's home, and she switched the engine off with a deft twist of her fingers. "Can I sleep over tonight?" she asked. Surprisingly, there was not a hint of hesitation or embarrassment.

"Into blondes now, huh?" Nanaba joked. She was glad when emotion finally bled into Krista's solemn face. "Sure. My parents love you anyway, just be warned that they might get the wrong idea."

Krista frowned. "Why would they?"

Nanaba smiled as she opened the door and climbed out. "Because more than likely you'll be in my bed tonight." Her smile faded, followed by pained, haunted eyes.

Krista didn't disagree. She nodded. "I haven't slept much lately. Maybe having you there will help." _But it isn't Ymir. I wish she was here._

Nanaba rubbed a hand through her hair, reminded that it had grown too long and she would need a haircut soon. "Will you come over later? I can even come over to your place if you want."

Krista shook her head quickly. "My parents are annoying. I'll stop by at eight."

Nanaba sighed. "Okay. Be safe." The worry in her eyes comforted Krista to some level. Nanaba knew what she knew, had experienced what she had. There was no one else that she could look upon, no one else that could comfort her—except Ymir, but that ship had sailed and sunk, and it was time that she stopped sinking with it.

Krista did not want to drown. She wanted to swim.

XxX

"So the doc says the poison is gone," Amir stated in relief, patting Ymir's bare back. The young brunette sat shirtless on a bed in Hanji's medical room. A small tube ran from her arm to a machine, and she grimaced as Amir carefully removed the instrument and then placed a plaster against the wound—it would heal in a moment.

"Thank fuck," Ymir muttered.

"Language," Amir chastised.

"Sorry."

"Put your shirt back on. We're having breakfast with the nerd squad."

Ymir snorted softly as she obeyed and pulled her grey cotton shirt over her torso. Amir finished up with the equipment.

"When can you do the ritual thing?"

They left the room, making a turn down the hall into the living room. "We'll explain when we do it," Amir answered. "But don't worry, we won't eat your heart or anything." Ymir pressed a hand to her chest as she remembered when her heart had been torn out. Amir grimaced when she noticed, realizing that her joke hadn't been a good idea. "Sorry."

Ymir snorted. "It's fine."

From the living room they made their way to the front door. The drive from the private home and into the city was a quiet affair, aside from a little bit of bickering over which radio station to switch it to. The decision had been to rather keep the radio off, and the two had sat in companionable silence. Apparently there was a really popular breakfast café in the city, and Hanji and Ilse had insisted Ymir and Amir join then there for something to eat. Ymir hadn't wanted to go, but Amir's pleading expression had broken her resolve.

"I should just warn you," Amir began as she switched the car's engine off just after parking it as close to the café as she could. "This place is frequented by our kind only."

Ymir was already out of the car and she paused just after slamming the door shut. "No shit. So, more demons?"

"Yup." Amir smiled gently and winked as Ymir walked around the car to her side. "But some of them won't bite."

"Some of them?"

"There might be one or two that have tried to seduce me over the years. They might react a little more strongly to a younger version of me."

Ymir rolled her eyes. "Yeah right."

Amir laughed, shaking her head, and opened the door of the café as they arrived by it. She let Ymir enter first and then she headed in behind her. Though Ymir hadn't noticed, Amir loomed by her back like a protective shadow already warning everyone to stay away. Luckily Ymir noticed Hanji and Ilse pretty quickly, thanks to the fact that the couple were arguing loudly as they leaned together in front of a laptop. The pair of tall brunette's approach them, wearing equal and almost identical expressions of amusement.

"Good morning," Amir interrupted, smirking.

"Having fun without us?" Ymir asked. She and Amir shared a look as they seated themselves opposite the couple, and then they snickered.

"Oh ho, look at you two," Hanji countered, face slightly flushed with anger but amusement clearly in her eyes, "Mirroring each other already!"

Amir was pleased by the thought while Ymir immediately deflated, crossed her arms over her chest and then slunk down in her seat. "Do no," she mumbled.

"Come on Ymir, don't sulk." Amir reached out to tap Ymir on the nose, chuckling at the way her daughter turned to give her a fiery glare afterwards.

"So why are we here and not having breakfast at the house?" Ymir asked, this time looking at Ilse and fully ignoring the other two adults seemingly amused by her sulking.

"Well, I just came for the coffee and Hanji wants to show you off."

"To who?"

As if summoned, a large figure suddenly appeared by their table, and the speed at which Amir stood almost had Ymir alarmed enough to launch to her feet too. But then Amir laughed, and Ymir's muscles relaxed.

"Well I'll be damned!" Amir said, her smile stretched wide. She opened her arms and then almost fell into the newly arrived stranger's embrace. The woman didn't seem bothered by the contact but she didn't seem exceptionally pleased either—more like she was simply used to it.

"Amir," the woman said, and her voice was deep and grating in a pleasant way that surprised Ymir. It was a voice she had never heard on a woman before, but it was strong and fantastic. "And… Amir?" The woman was looking to Ymir, a question on her face.

Amir almost threw the woman across the room as she shoved her aside to pull Ymir out of her seat. The young brunette could only yelp before she was put onto her feet, and then a long arm wrapped around her shoulder and she was pressed into a familiar one-armed hug. Instinctively Ymir wrapped an arm around Amir's waist out of habit and to keep her balance.

"Ymir, this is a very good friend of mine, Liache." Amir swept her hand around in front of her, indicating that Ymir should observe the woman in front of them. Ymir did.

She was frighteningly tall. If Krista had been there, no doubt the little blonde would have startled and felt intimidated. But Ymir was only slightly shorter than her, and Liache barely stood higher than Amir. The woman's was naturally stoic but her eyes, scarlet red, softened at Ymir's inspection. She was impossibly pale as well, with choppy ashen hair that just touched the back of her neck.

"And Liache, this is my daughter, Ymir," Amir finally concluded. She exuded so much happiness and pride that Liache couldn't help but chuckle as she held her hand out, smiling.

"Congratulations on finally finding her," she told Amir. "And hi to you, Ymir. It's good to finally meet you."

Ymir swallowed lightly at being put on the spot. When she clasped palms with Liache, she was surprised by the strength of her grip. "Sure, you too."

Liache finally showed emotion on her face—amusement. "Ah, she's just like you," the demon commented. "More with looks than personality though."

Amir nodded and looked to Ymir to smile her way. "Yeah, she has a lot of Damian in her."

"I should be heading out now. I'm late for a meeting. It was nice to see you, Amir. Take care." Liache politely nodded her head at both of them and left quickly. Her walk was so easy and confident that Ymir found herself stuck watching until the woman was gone. The pair sat down again, and then a sudden seriousness finally took the table.

"Now that the fun is over," Hanji began. "Amir, there's a real reason we called you here."

Ilse looked up from her laptop, shared a nervous look with Hanji, and then slowly turned her laptop until the screen was facing Amir. "I found something last night," she said.

Amir went absolutely still. Ymir noticed with concern, so she placed a hesitant hand on Amir's shoulder and then leaned in to see what had caused the tension. It took a few moments for her to make sense of what she was seeing, and then a strange sensation filled both her heart and mouth and she suddenly tasted metal.

"Damian," Amir breathed, eyes shining as if with tears. "You said you found this last night?"

Ilse nodded. "One of my cameras managed to match her face. She was seen entering this hotel just after midnight."

"That's just in the next town."

Hanji had a concerned crease along her forehead. Like Ymir had done earlier, she reached over and pressed her warm palm against Amir's shoulder. "Amir, we can't go after her yet. You have to focus on Ymir now."

Amir swallowed loudly, and there was obvious tension in her jaw. Ymir expected her to disagree and explode with shouting, or to even cry. She didn't—she simply nodded once and closed her eyes, breathing steadily to remain calm.

"You're right. I have to help my daughter first. When we go after Damian, it will be dangerous. Ymir needs to know how to fight."

Ilse hated seeing Amir so upset, especially after looking to Ymir and seeing the young brunette just as distressed. It was Ymir's first time seeing what her mother looked like, and though the screenshot was barely anything to go by, it must have been a shock anyway.

"I will keep track of her," Ilse promised. She waited for Amir's pained eyes to meet hers before she continued. "I already sent a few contacts to the hotel. She hasn't left yet. The moment she does I will be contacted with her next location. I have eyes everywhere, Amir. I will stick to her trail and find out what she's doing and where she plans on going. I'll even try to get a message through to her. Maybe if she hears that we have Ymir, she'll come back."

Amir's smile was painful to look at. "Thank you," she breathed. Without warning she stood and left, posture slumped and defeated. Ymir wanted to go after her, but felt at a loss. How in the hell was she supposed to comfort her father? She didn't even know how to comfort herself.

"Just give her some time," Hanji suggested. She flagged a waiter down. "Have some breakfast with us and we'll head home afterwards. Amir will be there in the gym, working out her anger and frustration."

Ymir sighed, shrugging. "It's not like I care."

Hanji hummed lightly, grinning. "Sure thing, freckles the second."

"Don't call me that."

"Baby freckles?"

"No."

"Amir's biological achievement?"

"Oh my god. Seriously, stop it."

Ilse slapped Hanji's side. "Leave the kid alone," she chastised.

"Thank you!" Ymir exclaimed, throwing her hands up.

"Alright. Kill joy." Hanji pouted and Ilse leaned over to kiss it away. When Hanji perked the waiter finally came over, and though Ymir wanted to argue some more, she couldn't help but look towards the café doors and wonder if Amir was alright.

XxX

That night Nanaba found herself in the strange predicament of being awake when everyone else was asleep. She was in her own room, but Krista was there beside her, sleeping peacefully. Nanaba wondered if the small blonde's sleep really was as peaceful as it looked on the outside. She knew how terrible the nightmares could be.

Sighing, Nanaba quietly slipped out of bed and made her way out of her room. Krista was still asleep, so she was quiet as she closed the door behind her. It was utterly silent throughout the house. Nanaba's soft footsteps almost sounded too loud, but she felt like she needed a glass of water and maybe a sleeping pill, so she endured it and padded all the way to the kitchen herself. As she made it to the island counter, a sudden memory struck her, and Nanaba paused to press her palm to the cool surface of the counter. She remembered how one night Ymir had stumbled out here, panting and desperate. Sometimes Nanaba struggled to sleep and would often walk around the house to tire herself out, stopping by for water on her way back if she needed it. Ymir had caught her just as she had placed an empty glass in the sink.

"_Ymir?"_ _Nanaba had asked. _

_Ymir stepped forward, her eyes were open, wide and glowing, but she did not seem herself. She had an arm pressed firmly to her stomach and Nanaba wondered if she had hurt herself again or if she was sick._

"_Are you hurt?" the blonde asked. By now she had already seen many strange things with Ymir, so the sight of her glowing red eyes wasn't alarming. What was worrisome was the vacant way Ymir stared at her. "Ymir?"_

_But the brunette ignored her, standing while she panted, staring. Eventually she just turned and headed back to her room, from where she came. The door closed so softly that Nanaba didn't hear it, and as she stood there staring into the darkness, she caught herself wondering if she had even seen Ymir to begin with._

Nanaba found herself standing by the doorway of Ymir's room. Nothing remained as it had when Ymir was here. Their parents had decided to pack everything up and use the room for something else. Arguing hadn't helped—her parents were adamant. It was painful to stand there and see Ymir's stuff shoved into boxes. Nanaba wondered how long the boxes would sit in their garage until they were given away or tossed out.

"It hasn't even been that long," Nanaba whispered. "Do they really believe that she'll never come back?" But even as she said it, Nanaba knew. Her gut told her that Ymir was out there doing something more important. Ymir wouldn't return.

Sighing, Nanaba shut the light off and then lightly closed the door. She had decided not to take a pill. Going through her memories hurt and this one had drained her energy. So she walked quietly back to her room, almost grateful at the prospect of getting back into the bed next to Krista. But the moment Nanaba shut the door, she was startled when Krista suddenly released a scream, sitting up and thrashing about. Nanaba was by her side instantly, holding her arms down and speaking calmly into her ear until she calmed. Long minutes passed by until Krista finally quieted, and then she began to sob softly, enveloped gently in Nanaba's arms.

"I'm sorry," she said between sobs. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologising?" Nanaba rub slow circles against her back, chin resting on the top of Krista's head.

"I don't know." Krista had her arms around Nanaba, so she tightened them and buried her face more firmly against Nanaba's chest. "I'm just so scared right now. I don't know if I'll ever be able to sleep alone again."

Nanaba felt the same. "Come on, let's get into bed and relax. I'll stay awake with you."

Krista nodded and rested back down. As soon as Nanaba was under the covers, Krista pressed to her side, grabbing handfuls of her shirt, and buried her face against Nanaba's neck. They remained silent, finding comfort in each other. The silence around them was almost unbearable, but their breathing eased it some, and eventually Krista's shuddering stopped.

"I'm sorry," the blonde whispered.

Nanaba wrapped her arms around Krista's small form and sighed lightly. "I'm the last person you need to apologise too. I understand exactly what you're going through."

Krista chuckled lightly. "You're right. I'm just so used to keeping everything to myself that it feels weird to share the burden with someone."

Nanaba gently rubbed a hand down Krista's back, quietly soothing her. She thought of Ymir and what the brunet must have gone through, and then of Krista and the blonde's strength to have dealt with all of it on her own. A frown touched her lips, and a sudden indescribable sense of protectiveness took over her.

"Don't ever do that again, okay?" Nanaba told her. Krista pulled away from her to look at her face, concerned. "Don't even burden yourself like that. If you need anything, I'm here to help you."

Krista smiled, though it was sadly. She pulled closer again and rested her cheek against Nanaba's chest. It wasn't Ymir's, and though Nanaba's scent was pleasant, it wasn't Ymir's. The warmth was comforting, but not Ymir's. Krista couldn't help but compare Nanaba to Ymir, and she caught herself doing it with a frown—she couldn't dictate Nanaba's worth by comparing her to Ymir. Nanaba didn't deserve that.

"Do you think she's okay?" Nanaba suddenly voiced. Her voice was quiet, hesitant.

"I don't know," Krista answered. Part of her wanted to say _of course she is, it's Ymir! Ymir can do anything!_ But then she caught her tongue and bit into her lip. _No, Ymir can't. She's still prone to fault, and above all she isn't immortal or untouchable. _

Nanaba sighed. "Part of me doesn't want to know. I feel like, as long as I just don't know where she is and what she's doing, I'll be okay. But then the worry kills me, and I feel like never knowing will keep me up at night."

"Besides the nightmares we already have."

Nanaba nodded. "Yeah. And about that… Krista… lately I've been thinking about moving out. I wanted to stay with my parents to help with Ymir and finish my studies, but Ymir is gone and I'm becoming more of a nuisance for them."

"Will you get a job?"

"I've already left my CV at a few places. As soon as I'm hired somewhere I'll get a place and move out."

"That's nice. I wish I could do that. I think I'm really starting to worry my parents. They're relieved when I come here every day."

Nanaba gave Krista's back another comforting rub. "Do you really feel that way? That you want to move?"

"I do."

Nanaba swallowed lightly, mouth suddenly dry. She couldn't fathom why her heart was suddenly thudding, but it was, and Krista could most definitely hear it. And she did, Nanaba knew, when she sat up lightly and pressed a hand to Nanaba's chest.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing… nothing is wrong, it's just… there's something I want to ask you." She sat up, gently holding onto Krista so that the blonde on top of her didn't fall over. Krista situated herself comfortably atop Nanaba's lap, and then she pressed her ear to the tall blonde's chest again.

"Ask me."

"If… when I move out, would you consider moving in with me? It's nothing weird," Nanaba quickly clarified. Her heart was beginning to thunder "It's just, I don't want to stay with my parents but I definitely can't be alone. You'll finish school soon. If you can get a part-time job, then you can help with expenses and study further if you want to."

"There isn't really something that I want to study," Krista told her. "I just always moulded my life around Ymir, expecting to be with her forever, living for her. I was wrong, and now I'm left wondering what I actually want in life." She sighed softly, tightening her fists in the front of Nanaba's shirt. Even through the fabric she could feel Nanaba's frantic heartbeat, and it reminded her of just how fragile the both of them were. Instead of making her uncomfortable, it swept Krista up in a blanket of warmth and she found herself wrapping her arms around Nanaba's neck and hugging her tightly. "But yes, I'd love to move in with you as soon as you get a place. I'll find a job somewhere too, maybe even by my father's company. They want me to take it over one day, anyway."

Nanaba was trembling, but she pressed her forehead to Krista's slightly bare shoulder, marvelling at the warmth. She had never been this physically close to a person, and it felt amazing, comforting and warm all at once. Nanaba didn't want to think about what she might be starting to feel. All she focused on was the fact that Krista was so small but her grip was strong, and though there was so little of her, she was very warm. Her answer made Nanaba smile in relief, and she collapsed onto her back. Krista gasped in surprise, and then she rolled over onto her back, giggling. The two of them stared up at the dark ceiling.

"Nanaba, what are we doing?" She searched along she sheets beside her for something, and when she found it she felt like maybe she would be able to sleep again.

Nanaba smiled as her fingers enclosed around Krista's. "We're doing what broken people do—scrambling around to fix ourselves, even if we use other people." There were things she wanted to say and bring up, but she dared not to touch on them. What she had with Krista… it was strange and new, but the prospect of losing it before she even understood what it was terrified her. Perhaps Krista felt the same.

"I wish Ymir was here," Krista sighed, tears slowly forming by her eyes. She wiped at them quickly, but somehow Nanaba sensed their presence. The tall blonde curled around her, reaching up to run a hand through her hair, the way that always helped Krista calm down enough to sleep.

"Me too," Nanaba told her softly. "Go to sleep. She'll be in your dreams."

Krista nodded once, drinking in Nanaba's offered comfort, and then she dropped off into sleep. Nanaba fell soon after.

XxX

"It's all about your genetics," Hanji explained manically, fiddling with her equipment as she spoke.

"Genetics?" Ymir asked. She turned to her father, who was sitting beside Ilse in the large space of Hanji's medical room.

"Genes have these switches," Hanji added. "I have done extensive research on our kind specifically and have discovered the scientific explanation to the sealing technique. For centuries our people thought it magic, but really, it was all about genes and turning certain switches off. For normal demons, those switches are already off—for you they're all on."

"And this is supposed to seal my powers away?"

Amir shrugged. "Not really sealing per say, it's more like we're switching off your Lucifer-genes and turning you into a normal demon."

"So I'll still be all demon-y?"

Hanji laughed outright. "You'll still be naturally stronger than us, but yeah, normal."

"How much stronger?"

"Think of it like this," Amir said, getting up to stand by Ymir's side. "Right now you have the equivalent strength of one hundred demons at once. When we turn those switches off, you'll have the power of about four to five demons."

Ymir absorbed the information, silently reeling. She had never realized that she was so strong—or maybe she had in some sense, but to have such a proper explanation made it all the more real.

"And how are we going to do this?"

"It's a long process. We're different to humans despite looking very similar," Hanji said. "But we'll be using your father's blood and some of my magic medicine."

Ymir's nose crinkled. "Do I have to drink it?"

"Goodness no!" Ilse explained. Ymir sighed in relief.

"We'll inject the serum directly into your veins," Hanji concluded. She finally finished with what she was doing, and then she pulled her surgical gloves off, successfully tossed them into the bin across the room and snapped a silver briefcase closed. "I've already made them. It will take three days."

Hanji made to leave the room, but paused just before the door and slapped a hand against Amir's chest. "Get these items for me, will you? We'll need them."

Ymir leaned forward and glanced at the paper now in Amir's hand. "Candles? Incense? I thought this wasn't some weird magic thing."

"It's not," Amir clarified. "It's just a sort of tradition. Hanji likes being dramatic too."

"You can use my card if you want, I don't care. When you get back we'll start the sealing. Oh, Ymir, you're not allowed to eat during these three days."

"What?!"

"It'll knock you out anyway," Amir told her. She pressed a hand to Ymir's back to comfort her. "But we will be right by your side, every step of the way. When you wake up you'll be sore."

"It's changing the very fabric of who you are," Hanji told them. She looked a little too solemn for Ymir's liking. "We wouldn't have to do this if the threat wasn't so great. So long as you hold all this power, those that seek it will try to use you."

Hanji and Ilse left the room and disappeared into their shared bedroom. It was already really dark outside and reaching midnight, so Ymir felt sceptical when Amir seemed to head for the front door.

"Are we going out now?" she asked.

"Yup."

"It's late."

"So? There are a few stores that never close. Besides, we only need a few things."

Ymir supposed that her father had a point, so she moodily followed behind her. It was only when they were seated in the car that Amir chuckled and turned to Ymir with a grin.

"Too nervous to stay with Hanji and Ilse?"

"What? No."

"You didn't have to come with me, you know."

Ymir shrugged. "I felt like getting out. All you do is watch me all day anyway."

Amir sobered slightly and reached over to gently grasp Ymir's hand. "I'm just scared for you. We've been keeping an eye out, but Illuminus is sure to know that we found you. It's only a matter of time until they track us down and try to take you again. Hanji wants to wait before we do the sealing, but I asked her to prepare as quickly as possible." Her hand never wavered and never relaxed. "I will not lose my kid again."

Ymir felt a pleasant warmth fill her, and uncharacteristically she placed her hand atop Amir's. Though she felt like saying something nasty just to distract from the fact that she was feeling an emotional impact, she didn't. She allowed herself to smile like a kid, and then she rolled her eyes when Amir nearly burst into tears and pulled her into a fierce hug.

"Just wait till your mother sees you," Amir cried, rubbing her cheek up against Ymir's. "She's going to love you more than she loves me."

Ymir stared straight ahead, arms limp by her side. She waited until Amir calmed and then straightened in her seat as soon as she was released. Amir having moments such as these were often—Ymir was already accustomed to them and had stopped resisting. Part of her even enjoyed them. There was a certain joy at being needed and wanted. Amir made sure to shower Ymir with as much love and praise as she could in the span of twenty-four hours.

The drive into the city was short. Getting the items had been an easy task and driving back even easier. But as they entered the property and drove down the long driveway, Ymir felt the stirrings of unease. She couldn't pinpoint what caused it, but something felt off. When Amir parked the car and hopped out, the feeling disappeared and Ymir decided not to mention it. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

"Alright, so we'll set everything up in the lounge with the candles and such," Amir started to explain. Hanji and Ilse were already there, laying a large black cloth in the centre of the room. All furniture had been moved, and it struck Ymir as weird. Around the cloth they had drawn a large symbol using chalk.

"Okay, now you all look like weird cult people."

Hanji cackled, making no move to argue, and continued lighting and placing the candles after taking them from Amir. Ilse followed after her slowly, making sure that each object was in its place.

"Okay," Hanji declared. "Done! Now Ymir, get naked."

Ymir paled. "Oh hell no."

"Hanji…" Amir warned. "You just need to remove your shirt," she quickly told her daughter before the kid decided to run. "We need to see your markings."

"Stop being a lecherous old man," Ilse scolded. She slapped Hanji on the arm and giggled when the scientist grumbled in annoyance.

"Okay fine. Take your shirt off and sit down in the middle of all this crap."

"Is there a scientific reason for sitting in the middle of candles and chalk?" Ymir asked. She quickly removed her shirt and bra, only lightly embarrassed when Ilse's eyes widened at the large, winding patterns on her skin. At least the marks distracted from her breasts, which she really wasn't worried about.

"It's just tradition," Hanji said, waving frantically. "Sit! It's about time we got this over with. Once you're on the level of an average demon we can let you do what you want without worrying."

Amir tapped her foot impatiently, eyebrows drawn together. Clearly she wasn't fond of the idea of Ymir going off to do her own thing, but she had enough understanding not to loudly admit it and piss Ymir off.

Rolling her eyes, Ymir sat down in the centre of it all and crossed her legs. Hanji handed a syringe over to Amir, to Ymir's surprise, and the taller brunette crouched down beside her daughter.

"It is the right of the father to seal her daughter," Hanji explained. "Since she is the one that cursed you."

Ymir's eyebrow lifted. "Cursed me?"

"It's part of this weird Lucifer-born tradition thing. Because I am of the bloodline and I gave it to you, I'm considered the one responsible. It's my responsibility to remove what I did to you."

Ymir grinned. "Just don't take away my good looks."

Amir nearly fell over as she suddenly laughed. Even Ilse found herself giggling, and when Amir nearly dropped the syringe while she slapped at her knee, Hanji grew impatient and threatened to do the damn thing herself.

"Fine, fine!" Amir exclaimed. "Give me that rubber tube thing."

Hanji did so, and Amir tied it around Ymir's arm just above her elbow. She flicked the syringe three times, and then only lightly pressed the tip to Ymir's skin. "Are you ready? It'll take a minute to kick in, and then you'll probably have weird dreams."

Ymir took in a deep breath. She remembered how, since she had been young, she had always wanted to be normal. She had hated what she turned into, hated her horns and her eyes, hated the marks along her body and hated that no matter what she could never control her temper. But now, as she stared down the opportunity to be somewhat normal, she felt slightly hesitant. Being this… this Lucifer-born, it had been _her_ for so long. Somehow it almost felt wrong to take that away just to be normal. Ymir wondered how different she would feel, but her strange feelings were not enough to make her change her mind. Simply because of who she had been born as, she had been forced to endure life's harsh cruelties. Sometimes she was still wracked with phantom pain and phantom sickness, her body used to it for so long. Nightmares still plagued her—the one of her turning and ending things, new ones with the same concept, and ones where she killed the only one she loved.

"I'm ready." Ymir closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. She inhaled deeply as Amir gently rubbed her forearm and then sunk the needle in. When the liquid entered her veins, she felt it burn.

"I'll be right here," Amir promised, discarding the syringe to pull Ymir onto her lap. "While you sleep and when you wake." She removed the rubber tube constricting Ymir's veins, and then held her tight as the serum spread out like wildfire. When it reached Ymir's heart and shot to other parts of her body, they could track its progress by the black veiny marks on Ymir's skin. When the serum passed under them, they glowed red.

Ymir's heart began pumping too hard and too quickly. An intense sense of fear and dread washed over her. She attempted to speak, to ask Amir why she was feeling this way and to beg her to make it stop. But her ears began to ring, moisture left her mouth and her limbs ceased to work.

And around her, everything turned black.


End file.
